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Second Chances
Tigra and new student X-23 are going at it hammer and tongs. Spots of blood fly as X-23’s blades slash at her opponent. As the pair break away from each other, Tigra suddenly stops and straightens her hair. She tells Laura that she finds her style interesting. She notes that she automatically wants to go for disembowelment with her foot claws, but Laura uses her claws for killing strikes at the major organs. Laura replies that Tigra’s instincts are those of a cat whose claws won’t penetrate to the heart. She was trained as an assassin to kill as quickly and decisively as possible.
Tigra smiles and tells her that she obviously doesn’t need combat training. She hopes Laura can learn from them in other ways as she’s sure they will learn from her. She turns to the original students who are with White Tiger and Lightspeed and introduce them to their newest member. She is met with a wall of surprised looks apart from Finesse who was more interested in studying Laura’s moves. “And they say I’m dangerous,” whispers Hazmat to Mettle.
Reptil has the same thought. He finds it amazing what sticks in your head. He looks around at the others… so young, knowing everything except how little they really knew. They thought they’d had their choices taken away by Norman Osborn, by their parents and by life. But, here he is in the body of his younger self and the possibilities… all the things he could do - it’s almost overwhelming. He looks at Mettle and wonders whether, if he could warn him what’s coming, could they remain friends? Could things work out for him and Hazmat? He then glances over to Finesse. She still lets him call her Jeanne in this time. Every time he says it, he wants to cry. If he could change just one thing… but he can’t. He can’t and that’s the whole reason he came. He has to make sure things work out the way they did before. The way he wants them to.
He then turns to White Tiger and figures it’s bad enough that he has absolutely no recollection of her. He didn’t even know the original had a sister who lived. And, he sure as hell doesn’t remember having his mind yanked into the future trapped in his adult body; held in a cage, his powers neutralized and unable to hear or see anything. Reptil thinks ‘he’ was right. The timestream is in flux and his being in this time makes it more so. But, they had to take the chance. So, here he is, living out a fantasy everyone has at some point. Going back to school, knowing what you know as an adult. However, instead of doing it right, he has to make sure it happens the way it did the first time. Mind you, that doesn’t mean he can’t do things a little differently. He begins to morph his ear as he’d always wondered what Giant-Man and Tigra were saying to Laura. What the hell were they thinking even bringing her to the academy… disastrous as it turned out? There’s no reason he can’t listen in.
X-23 informs Hank that, as he can see, she doesn’t really need instruction. Hank agrees that she doesn’t require combat training, but he and Wolverine felt her spending time on campus might benefit both her and the other students in other ways. Laura says he’s said that before. However, she doesn’t really want to and they don’t want to be around her. Hank reckons that’s precisely the point, but she doesn’t have the same baggage here as she does with the X-Men. She can visit as much or as little as she likes. All he asks is that she gives them a chance. She should talk to the students and get to know them. She’ll find that they’re not so different from herself.
(later)Laura joins the full-time students and explains that Dr. Pym would like her to join them. She would like to hear their thoughts on the matter. She informs them that her name is Laura Kinney. She was cloned from Wolverine’s DNA, raised in a lab and trained to kill with maximum efficiency and no remorse. She began showing emotion and hesitation and so her trainers responded by creating a trigger scent that sends her into a murderous rage, overriding all higher thought. She continues to explain that at of age twelve she worked as an assassin and she has murdered men, women, children and animals, as well as everyone at her birth facility. This included her own mother. She admits that she has little understanding of normal feelings, relationships or behavior. To this day, if she smells the trigger scent, she will slaughter anyone in sight.
The students look at each other for a moment before welcoming Laura to the academy. Mettle reckons they forced her to be like this. She’ll fit right in. Finesse tells her that she has difficulty with emotions as well. She’s constructed flash cards. Striker hopes her trigger scent doesn’t smell anything like ‘Axe.’
Reptil remembers being right there with the others welcoming Laura, so why does he hold back now? Is it because he knows how it ends? He has to tell himself to focus. His whole world is depending on him. He sees Striker calling out to Lightspeed as she walks away and realizes this is the point that Striker impressed on him how important it was. He figures he’d better make sure things go in the right direction. He doesn’t think they’re used to him turning into prehistoric bugs just yet, so he minimizes himself and takes flight.
Striker tells Julie that he heard what Hazmat said to her the other day about not knowing which team to play for. Julie asks him to leave her alone. Her private life is her private life. She knows that she can’t stop people talking about her but she’s not going to participate. She continues to fly away and he explains that he needs to talk to her about this. She replies that there are plenty of web sites out there that can help him, but Striker impulsively zaps her with an electrical blast, telling her not to walk away from him. She changes direction quickly and flies towards Striker, punching him in the jaw in her anger. “That hurt, you little…” She lands and stands over Striker and tells him for the last time she is not talking to him about her love life. She is not kissing a girl while he watches and she’s done with his obnoxious pervy…
“I think I’m gay too,” he blurts out. Julie stops in her tracks and folds her arms, thinking he’s messing with her. All he does is hit on girls. Striker replies that he hits on girls who’d never go for him and in the most obnoxious way possible. “Listen,” he adds, “If this is about not being sure who you are…” Julie sits beside him and assures him that she knows. She is Julie Power. She likes reading and acting, was born in Richmond, Virginia and she has two brothers and a sister. She’s not some symbol or label. “So you’re not gay?” he asks. Julie looks upwards and says she doesn’t know. Everyone’s all ‘pick a side’ like it’s Yankees and Red Sox. She explains that when she has feelings for a person, it’s for that person, not their gender. Can’t you just like someone without it being a political statement? she asks.
Striker takes off and tackles an assault course as Julie flies overhead. He tells her that he’s not sure which country she’s been living in but everything is a political statement. Being bisexual is a thing. It puts the B in LGBT. Julie reckons a lot of her L and G friends think B’s are just gay people who haven’t come all the way out. They say they knew they were gay when they were little kids. She guesses she was too busy with getting super powers from alien horses. Then, she adds, there are those people who think she’s just confused… under bad influences, like she moved west and suddenly caught ‘the gay.’ L.A.’s answer to bedbugs.
Striker reckons they should forget them all. The only thing that matters is what makes you happy. Julie tells him that’s actually a really nice thing to say, and obviously not at all what he’s doing with his own life. “I’m… different,” replies Striker. He tells her that he’s not ashamed or anything, but he doesn’t make a big thing out of it either, so no blabbing, okay? They both come to a rest and Striker informs her that when he was little he acted in commercials. He had this sleazebag manager who touched him inappropriately. His powers kicked in one day and… he killed him. Julie is shocked but Brandon asks her not to. He hates people feeling sorry for him. Anyway, he adds, it’s bad enough he has to carry the memory of killing him, he doesn’t want that monster to affect his life any more that he does already. “If I’m this way because of him…”
Julie doesn’t think it works that way. Someone like that can’t make you into something you’re not. The only way he has any power over Brandon is if he gives it to him; if he lets the guy change who he is. Brandon explains that he didn’t really have a dad. When his manager started paying attention to him, it was like he really cared about him. Not just as a way to get money and fame but about him. Even after he started being weird, he still wanted to be around him. He wonders if maybe on some level he wanted it.
Julie warns him to stop right there. She tells him he didn’t want to lose the closest thing he had to a father. He was a lonely little boy and he made him feel loved. Anybody would respond to that but no way in hell does it make it in any way Brandon’s fault. He was an adult. Brandon was a kid. What he did was unequivocally wrong. She’s sorry. Brandon takes in everything she’s saying and bursts into tears. Julie responds by hugging him tightly. Striker thanks her. It’s not like they really know each other. Julie says they now know each other now better than a lot of people.
She wants to ask him a question. He’s been with girls, right? Striker replies that he has… kind of a lot. He guesses he was out to prove he was a man. Julie asks if it was something he wants to spend the rest of his life doing. Striker replies that he already knew it wasn’t. Julie says in that case, he should figure the rest out at his own pace. He should just never feel like he has to be alone. As she takes to the air, her rainbow stream following closely behind, He tells her that in return he can help her be a proud bisexual. She replies that the way her love life’s going she’s not much of anything sexual.
Once Julie has flown away, Reptil transforms from his bug form back to his normal appearance. He didn’t like spying on Brandon at his most vulnerable, but he asked him to. Like this wasn’t hard enough already.
(the next day)X-23 is relaxing on a branch in one of the trees. Hazmat asks her to tell Mettle what she told him. Mettle doesn’t wish to bother Laura, but Hazmat tells Laura that he’s all shook up because he killed some Nazis trying to save civilians. He thinks it’s gonna turn him into this psycho killer. “Tell him.” X-23 drops from the tree and lands beside them. She informs Ken that there are very few subjects on which she considers herself an expert but killing is one. She tells him that taking lives to save innocents is worlds apart from taking the life of innocents. She’s done both. One she would do again today without hesitation. The other, she struggles constantly to ensure she will never do again. Hazmat tells Ken that the Yoda of killers has spoken, so he can chill.
Ken becomes a little excitable. He tells her that when he killed those guys it felt like a kind of… a kind of rush. Laura reckons that’s adrenalin. It’s powerful and some people become addicted to it. It doesn’t mean he enjoys killing. She asks what he feels when he recalls those events. Ken admits that it makes him want to hurl. Reptil, who overheard their conversation, sidles up to Hazmat and whispers that she has some competition. Hazmat quickly gets Ken away from X-23 on the premise that they have some papers to write. Reptil then wanders off with a sad look on his face. Just like that, he thinks, everything changes. A word here, a gesture there and he changes the courses of lives. But, the big one is coming today and, God help him, he doesn’t know what to do. He then glances over and sees Hawkeye approach Tigra. He asks her if she’s mission ready. ‘And there it is,’ sighs Reptil.
Hawkeye informs Tigra that there’s a police report about some kinda firefight on Skid Row. Some anti-mutant nuts called the Purifiers are trying to kill a homeless kid - a telekinetic kid. She tells him to get to the Quinjet while she gets Hank. Pietro can be there in under a minute. As Hawkeye leaves, Reptil approaches him and offers to help. Hawkeye asks him to follow. ‘And lives change forever,’ thinks Reptil.
(Skid Row)Several Purifiers are on the attack. A young boy defends himself but using his telekinetic powers to lift a car between them. “Die creature, in the name of God, die!!” cries one of the aggressors. Both Giant Man and Reptil appear, shaking the Purifiers off their feet as their massive feet hit the ground. Hank asks if they’ve actually read the bible, because he reckons they skipped an important commandment. One of them raises his weapon but finds two arrows fired perfectly into the barrels. Reptil leans down and grabs a couple of Purifiers in his massive teeth. Another Purifer fires and tells them that they’re trying to save them. The kid is a monster! Quicksilver runs around him at super speed, loosening his armor, taking apart his weapon and generally confusing him. He replies with more than a hint of sarcasm that they know. All mutants are monsters. He’s heard the gospel of hate from bigots like him all his life.
Meanwhile, Tigra takes on another and taunts him for using an energy weapon. What brave warriors they are! The guy replies that if she knew she would help them. However, before he can continue, he is killed by an explosion. Fortunately for Tigra, Quicksilver grabs her and pulls her away from danger just in time. Hank asks what’s happened. Reptil replies that it was a suicide switch. They get captured and go up in flames. Isn’t that what those kind of guys do? Hank says he’s heard of the Hand doing that and occasionally Hydra, but not the Purifiers. Clint reckons a nut is a nut. Good riddance. He asks the kid if he’s all right. He asks his name and whether there’s anyone he should call. He replies that his name is Jimmy Marks and his parents are dead so he doesn’t have anyone. Clint extends his hand and asks him not to be so sure about that. “Us orphans have to stick together.”
(Avengers Academy, later)As Jimmy sits by himself at a canteen table, Hank, Clint and Humberto discuss his situation. Hank explains that Social Services have sent over his file. He’s from West Virginia, lost his parents at fifteen and came west with a foster family. Unfortunately, he was aged out of the system. After his parents died, it seems he essentially stopped going to school. He’s no psychiatrist but he’ll bet that Jimmy’s suffering from depression. Clint explains that he was pretty messed up for a while after his folks passed. It managed to royally screw up his life for a while. The Avengers gave him a second chance, he adds. Maybe they could do the same for Jimmy?
Hank replies that he told him he’s had his powers for years but his parents were prejudiced against mutants to he kept them hidden. He doesn’t mean to pass the buck, but they’re short-staffed as it is with the students they have. And, he’s busy trying to rebuild Jocasta. If he’s a mutant, it might be best to refer him to the X-Men. “Or,” adds Reptil, “We could ask him what he wants.” Hank grins and reckons this is way Reptil is class leader. They approach Jimmy and Hank tells him that there’s no reason he has to live on the streets. He could stay with them and learn to use his powers. Maybe he could even get his G.E.D. Alternatively, if he’d prefer, the X-Men would welcome him.
Jimmy sits upright and says no, loudly. He apologizes but then explains that his father raised him to believe being a mutant was a bad thing. He knows he was wrong, but he thinks he’d be more comfortable at the academy. Clint says that works for him and welcomes Jimmy to the academy.
Reptil extends his hand and introduces himself adding that he lost his parents too. Would he like to be shown to his room? As the pair departs, Clint tells Hank he’s a good kid. Only someone who’s been there knows what it’s really like. Hank thinks it’s surprising to hear Humberto talk about his parents in the past sense. His idealism is what has kept him going. He’d hate to think he’d lost it.
Humberto leads Jimmy to his room and they enter. As soon as the door is closed, Jimmy reveals his true form - a grotesque being who tells Humberto that they can stop pretending they don’t know what each other are. He informs Humberto that he is the horror known as Hybrid! He tells Humberto that his thoughts are hard to read, perhaps because he too is a product of the dark arts. So, why doesn’t the ‘time-traveler’ explain why he has facilitated him coming to the academy? Why shouldn’t he incinerate him as he did those Purifer fools? Humberto semi-transforms himself into a scaly form and replies that it would be easier said than done. But, like he said, he is not from this era. They can just say he has a vested interest in things working out a certain way. That involves Hybrid getting what he wants; a school full of superhumans who, unlike the X-Men, don’t know him. It’s a school full of prey. All he has to do is to let a few people live and he’ll give him the rest.
Hybrid changes back into his Jimmy form and reckons that to surrender his fellows to him rather than fight, his future must be precious to him indeed. Reptil says it’s none of his business but, just so he knows what’ll happen if he double crosses him… yeah, it is!
(the future)Mettle, Veil and Finesse are together when Striker appears trying to catch a small child who is running around. Ken tells him that all he had to do was to keep her out of there. Striker replies that she’s a shape changer. What is he supposed to do? Keep her in a jar? Finesse looks down as the child grabs her leg and asks who let a child into the room. “Oh, jeez Finesse,” replies Ken. “That’s Maria, your daughter.” Finesse looks at her more closely and realizes that he’s right. She thought her movements looked familiar. Maria looks up at Reptil who is captive and asks, “Mommy. Why is daddy in a cage?


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Family
(Avengers Academy campus)It’s a bright sunny day but Juston Seyfert is a little concerned. Reptil flies over to him as Juston sits on his Sentinel’s chest and asks what’s up. Juston replies that it’s the new kid, Jimmy Marks. He’s totally making his sentinel freak out. He says Jimmy is a mutant which is no big deal, but it was built to destroy all mutants. He’s programmed it not to, but it also says Jimmy’s an alien and it’s like Skrull invasion 2.0, right? He knows Reptil and Jimmy are tight and they’re all there because they’ve got some stuff in their past they’d rather not have held against them, so he figured he’d talk to Reptil as he‘s class leader. He apologies for laying this on him.
Humberto asks him not to worry about it. He’s glad he did speak to him as his Sentinel is right. He asks Juston if he knows what a Dire Wraith is. Juston asks if he means the shape-changing aliens who shove their spiky tongues into your brain. Reptil says that’s right, but Jimmy is half human. He explains that Jimmy’s father came to Earth to scout an invasion but he fell in love with a local woman. They got married and had a kid. He asks Juston to think about it. An alien from a race that considers compassion a weakness, fell in love. That’s amazing, isn’t it? He asks Juston to go with him and talk to Jimmy. He’ll see that he’s no different from them.
Juston is a little reticent, mainly because his Sentinel can’t fit inside and he has no powers of his own. He’s not prejudiced, but aren’t these Dire Wraiths full of dark magic and stuff? Humberto replies that so is he, and he was tortured and brainwashed by Norman Osborn. He asks Juston to relax. All he has to do it yell and his iron giant will rip the walls down, right?
Juston reckons that’s true. He guesses a guy whose best friend is a genocidal robot can’t be too judgemental, right? They head inside, and Reptil says that besides that, Jimmy’s not a Wraith or a human. He’s something new. Juston reckons if his parents set an example of love and tolerance, he’s probably a pretty decent kid. As they open the door, Reptil replies, “Except Jimmy killed his parents.” As soon as Juston sees Jimmy he is instantly taken into his mental thrall. Jimmy is in his Hybrid form and Reptil apologizes to Juston, but Jimmy isn’t like them and he’s not like his folks either. He’s worse.
Reptil asks Hybrid to take it easy and just mess with his head a little so he thinks he’s cool. He can’t kill him or his robot will tear the roof off. Hybrid replies that he fears no machine and he is so… hungry. Reptil reminds him that he just got his powers back. Does he really want to start a fight that will get all the students and faculty running? Or, does he want him to bring them one by one so he can feed off their energy and get strong enough to take on all comers. Hybrid asks why he should heed advice from him. Reptil reminds him that it’s because only his body is young. His mind is from the future; a future he needs to work out the way he remembers which means Hybrid murdering half the academy.
Hybrid replies that, if he does not, his daughter will never be born. That much he can see. It’s at the forefront of his thoughts. However, his magical nature prevents him from probing further so he still does not trust him. Reptil says he doesn’t trust Hybrid either, but he needs him to kill some students and not the ones he doesn’t want killed. In return, Hybrid needs him to lead them to the slaughter. So, he adds, either they can cut the crap and work together or he can go ahead and commit suicide because he can’t just wait five minutes for him to being him someone else. Hybrid realizes Humberto is right and he works him mental magic on poor Juston.
Moments later and they both leave the room with Juston commenting that Jimmy’s a hell of a guy. He thanks Humberto for introducing them. He tells his Sentinel that they’re gonna go surfing and he asks Humberto if he fancies coming along. Humberto apologizes but he has a few things he can’t get out of that he still needs to do.
(south campus border)Humberto finds Tigra standing on the cliff edge looking absently into the distance. He asks if she’s okay. Tigra turns and replies that it’s just that she misses her son. It was her idea that the Cat people raise him. She wants him to learn to balance his feline and human sides and avoid the problems she had. But, when he’s in their dimension there is a hole in her heart. “I know… uh, I mean… I can imagine,” replies Humberto. He tells her she’s doing what’s best for her kid no matter what it takes. Even if it means she suffers. That’s what being a parent is all about, right? She tells him he’ll make a great dad and he whispers to himself, “God, I hope so.” She asks what he just said but he changes the subject and tells her that the new kid Jimmy is in his room but isn’t answering. He’s not saying he’s hurt himself but he did seem kinda down. He tells Tigra that her senses are more acute than his. Can she come check it out?
Tigra follows him and they arrive at Jimmy’s door. Tigra can’t believe the stench. She asks him to stay back as there’s something very wrong. She wants to call the others. However, as she speaks, Humberto tells her that for what it’s worth, he’s sorry. He transforms and smashes her through the door using a stegosaurus tail right into Hybrid’s clutches. “Ah. Room service,” he says as Tigra hit the floor. He holds her by the throat and tells Reptil that she’s infused with magic like him. It’s intoxicating. He says he’s more concerned with the one named White Tiger. She wears magic amulets like Reptil and he must know more before facing her. He tells Humberto to learn their nature for him.
“You’re not going to kill Tigra?” he asks. Hybrid replies no. He explains that females with power are prime breeding stock and Wraith children mature quickly. He can have an army within the year and now that Wraithworld has returned to their dimension, it will need a king. He tells Humberto to go and learn what he requires. He can send him some more victims. Now that he’s tasted superhuman power again he is positively ravenous.
Reptil then heads back onto campus and finds Butterball with a game in his hand. He tells Reptil that he just got the new Crystar, the Crystal Warrior game. Wanna play? he asks. Humberto replies that he’s in the middle of something and then he stops walking. He says Butterball is indestructible, right? He can’t get hurt or die? “Yup,” replies Butterball. Reptil figures that means he’ll live forever and never get old. Butterball doesn’t really know about that. Reptil thinks about this and whispers, under his breath, that he ought to be more than a mouthful anyway. Butterball only half catches this before Humberto adds that the new kid Jimmy is a big Crystar fan. He bets he’d play. Butterball smiles and thanks Humberto. He says he loves this place. Everyone there is like family. As he wanders off, Humberto frowns. “Yeah,” he sighs. “And in the end, family’s all you’ve got.
He next visits the White Tiger, who is looking at family photos on her wall. She explains to Humberto that she was the baby of the family. She wasn’t just the youngest. By the time she was born her sister Awilda already had her own kids. It was kinda nice having everyone fuss over her but it was also lonely. They all had grown-up lives, especially her brother Hector. He’d found the magic Tiger amulet that gave him his powers. He had strength, agility, incredible fighting skills. He called himself the White Tiger and he was the first big-name Hispanic super hero. She worshipped him and thought he had it all. She never realized how hard it was.
She adds that he always seemed so sad. She asked her parents why and her mama told her they’d talk about it when she was older. Then, one day she came back from school and she knew there wouldn’t be any more talks. She starts to cry as she can still see them lying there. Some psycho killed them because of her brother… because he was the White Tiger. Hector didn’t die until years later, but inside he died that day. She covers her face as she explains that she went to live with Awilda’s family. Hector almost never came to visit. She knows he loved her but he was afraid that it might happen again. She thinks that him seeing her reminded him and she thinks he blamed himself.
Humberto doesn’t really know how to respond, but Anya apologizes to him. There she is, Miss Got-It-All-Together getting EMO in front of a guy who doesn’t even like her. He just wanted to know if there was a connection between their magic amulets, right? She doubts it. Hers are pieces of a statue from a hidden city called K’un L’un. They have a dragon there but no dinosaurs. Humberto tells her that it’s not that he doesn’t like her, it’s that he doesn’t even know her. He says he’s sorry he’s been so hard on her but it’s not personal. White Tiger pulls herself together and says it’s cool. She was pretty tough on him. She reckons it’s just that her brother sacrificed so much to be a hero and she holds everyone up to his standards. That’s not really fair to anybody.
Humberto replies that a lot of life isn’t fair. He informs her that Hector was his hero when he was growing up. He has some old magazine articles about him which he thought she’d like to see. This perks Anya up and she says she’d love to. They head outside and walk towards Jimmy’s room. “You really loved your brother, huh?” asks Humberto. She replies that she loved him more than anything in the world. He asks her if she could go back in time and save his life, even if it meant innocent people getting killed, she’d do it, right? Anya says a flat-out no. She explains that Hector dedicated his life to helping people. He’d never want her to do that. Humberto replies that she’s a stronger person than he. He opens the door and asks her to remember that this isn’t personal.
Her eyes open wide in shock as she looks inside and sees Tigra, Butterball, Striker, Lyra and Lightspeed all under Hybrid’s thrall. He does the same to her immediately and thanks Humberto. He motions to Butterball and says that he’s a revelation. He does not die and he could feed off him forever. Humberto tells him he thought Butterball couldn’t feel pain, but Hybrid laughs and informs him that physical and spiritual pain are very different things. Humberto guess that they are.
He asks what Humberto has learned of the White Tiger. He explains that her amulets are just pieces of a statue that broke a long time ago. Hybrid reaches out to the amulets around her neck but they begin to glow. They then emit a blast which burns Hybrid. The distraction loosens his control over the others and Striker takes control of himself for a moment until Hybrid orders him to stop. He orders Reptil and his charges to kill Anya whilst he regains control of the others.
“Traitor,” cries Anya. “Why are you doing this?” He replies that it’s the same reason she does everything: family. She prepares for battle and tells him that if he’s got his parents she will help him. Reptil changes into a dinosaur form and charges at her. He tells her that if he wants to help him then she can lie down and die! He slashes her costume with his claws and snaps at her with his huge mouth. “I’ll try to make it quick,” he says. The amulets then kick in and the White Tiger’s personality somehow changes. She punches him, sending him flying backwards. She then leaps on him and asks how he dare challenge the Tiger. She is ferocious in her attack and keeps him on the ropes. As she strikes she tells him that he is an avatar of dead things whilst she is older than the immortal cities. She is eternal! She presided over the great lizards’ death once and shall again. As she draws blood and he begins to change back to his human form, she tells him to retreat into his mortal body. She prefers the taste of warm… blood.
As she speaks she suddenly regains control of herself. She wonders how Hector got his amulet under control but she cannot. She drops to her knees and calls herself a monster. She asks him to go ahead and kill her. She won’t live like that - not as something she’d be ashamed of. Her brother died a hero and she will too. “Do it!” Reptil turns back into his dinosaur form and looks her in the eye. Something stirs inside him, a faint pang of guilt at the back of his mind. He reaches up as if to slash her but instead brings his claws down on the fire alarm which rings loudly.
Hybrid calls him a fool. A weak human fool. He could have ended her but instead he summoned help. He thinks it’s sad as he was actually considering honoring their bargain. It’s a pity, he adds, that his amulet doesn’t keep him from reaching inside his head and forcing his transformation. Humberto loses his dinosaur form and becomes normal again. Hybrid grabs Reptil and White Tiger by the throat and tells them that if the think they’ve changed anything other than their futures becoming agonizingly short then they are sadly mistaken. He is brimming with power. Let their friends come. He is ready to gorge!
(meanwhile, on the athletic field)As Finesse spars with X-23, Mettle stands with Hazmat. He can’t believe she was jealous. She asked him to talk to Laura. Hazmat, arms folded, replies that they’re on first name terms. He’d better choose his deodorant carefully. There’s a trigger scent that turns her into a mindless killing machine. Mettle asks what it matters whether he calls her X-23 or Laura. It’s not like she’s gonna go for him anyway. Hazmat asks if the only thing stopping him from cheating on her is girls not being interested in him? Mettle replies that what he’s saying is that she shouldn’t be mad at her because she didn’t do anything wrong. What does she care anyway? he adds. She’s obviously not interested in him as anything more than arm candy.
The comment catches Jenny off guard. She asks if this is about the other day. That had nothing to do with him. Mettle replies that all he knows is that he never had a girl run out of the room when he had skin. Hazmat can’t believe he said that. Before they can get into an argument, X-23 leaps over them at the sound of the alarm as she heads for the house.
(Giant Man’s lab)Meanwhile, Jocasta’s inert body lies on the table as Hank and Clint Barton watch over her. Hank tells him she’s empty. Rebuilding her was easy, but he couldn’t find any trace of her personality in her destroyed body or anywhere else. Clint thought she made backups, but Hank says that whoever attacked her erased every one using a precision virus that sought them out and irreparably overwrote them. They knew her inside out. Clint mentions her husband, Ultron. He was already nuts and it’s a thin line between love and hate… even for robots. Hank admits he had the same thought, but he’s also wondered, given his history of mental breakdowns, if there’s some chance that he’s at fault.
Before he can continue this thought process, Quicksilver appears and orders them to the south dorm. It’s an emergency. Everyone rushes over and they find Hazmat standing next to a large hole in the wall. She tells Hank that it’s X-23. He must have gotten her trigger scent somehow. Hybrid then emerges through the hole. He has Quicksilver in his grasp and Reptil, X-23 and White Tiger under his control. He calls Jenny a stupid girl. Why would he need a scent? Why would he need anything when he can turn off their higher brain functions?


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[Assistant]
Class Reunion
(Avengers Academy campus)Hybrid has taken control of several students and a couple of senior Avengers. Giant-Man and Hawkeye are the only teachers left to fight, but there are several unaffected students at hand to help them in battle. Hybrid, orchestrating events, tells them he is a higher being to whom they are nothing but food! Giant-Man, grappling with Reptil in his T-Rex form, asks his team not to hurt the others as they are being mind-controlled. “Easy for you to say,” replies Mettle as he fends off X-23’s claws. He somehow finds time to joke, telling Hazmat that he can see why she’s jealous. X-23 is all over him. “Not funny” she replies. Mettle asks her to relax. She can’t hurt…
He stops talking as two of Laura’s claws sink into his shoulder with a ‘chnk.’ Hazmat responds by blasting X-23 with a massive dose of radiation. Giant-Man asks her to be careful, as Laura’s healing factor isn’t as strong as Wolverine’s. Mettle grabs X-23 and pins her arms to her side and turns to Hazmat, asking if she knew she’d survive that. Jenny replies yes, but she’d have done it anyway. Hawkeye tells Hank that his war of the colossal beasts is killing his aim. Can’t he shrink Reptil down a bit? Hank tells him he’s trying but he’s using his Pym Particles to grow. Humberto’s fighting him. He tries to communicate with Reptil, telling him that he knows his conscious mind is active but suppressed. He has to break free.
Reptil wishes he could, but Hybrid’s too strong for him. He can think a little, probably because his consciousness is only inhabiting his younger body. Unfortunately, it’s like trying to run in a dream. It’s a huge effort just to move and even if he could fight back, nothing can hurt Hybrid. He then considers something else. The White Tiger’s amulets don’t play well with Hybrid. He focuses as he’s only going to get one shot at this. He swipes her hard from behind and her amulets light up bright emerald.
The White Tiger picks herself up and mumbles, “F-Free.” Hybrid tells her it’ll only be for a moment. No human mind can resist him. Reptil, now back in his human form, looks up and points behind Hybrid. “Okay,” he says, “What about that?” Hybrid turns to see the Sentinel looming over him. Before he can respond, the Sentinel blasts him. Juston Seyfert, sitting at the controls, tells Reptil that he was right all along. It’s just now come back to him that this slimy monster messed with his head. “Let’s show him how it feels!” Unfortunately, Hybrid uses his powers to capture the Sentinel in a telekinetic grip and it begins to dismantle. He brings Juston out of his cockpit and gloats that he is magic and science and genetics. “I am the Apex Predator!”
Hybrid then grabs Mettle by the throat and claims dominion over them all. Reptil intercepts Finesse before she can attack Hybrid, pointing out that he just took Juston down with a thought. He’ll kill her. He tells her that he knows this sounds crazy, but he’s switched minds with his himself from the future, a future where… where what they have means everything to him. He came back to save all that. He knows it sounds impossible to believe. Finesse replies that she does believe him. His mannerisms and speech patterns are different and what he’s told her confirms her observations. However, this changes nothing. She will not stand by while their friends die. She wouldn’t like herself if she did that. She tells him that, if he still cares for her after she let them be murdered, his future is not one she’d like to see.
Meanwhile, Hazmat unleashes her radiation blasts at Hybrid but he enjoys her taste. It’s like cosmic storms and her life force will feed him for months. He feels it’s obliging of their mentors to assemble them like lambs to the slaughter and then invite the wolf among them. Reptil knows that they can’t stop him. Hybrid’s one of the most powerful telekinetics on Earth and a sorcerer on top of it. They’re all going to die. There is only one chance, even if it means throwing the history he remembers out of the window.
He heads to a control panel and tells ‘someone’ that he needs help so he’s patching them into the compound security cameras. “Reptil?” they reply. “How did you know I was…” Reptil says there’s no time to explain. They must make their decision and act on it. He has another call to make. He then patches himself in to the future and contacts the older version of Striker.
(the future)Striker informs him that his timeline is in flux so they’re going to have to abort. They’re bringing him back. Reptil replies that he can still make this work. Humberto’s younger version in his older version’s body is still in the capsule and he asks what’s going on. His daughter hit’s a switch and asks him to come out of there. He’s scaring her. She removes his visor and asks him why he was in there. Confused, he asks who she is. “Stop it,” she screams. “Don’t say that daddy.” Humberto’s face lights up. “Daddy…?” She folds her arms in a huff and tells him that mommy’s the one who doesn’t remember her. He always does. He looks up and sees Finesse. Hazmat quips that this just got a lot more complicated.
Reptil stands up and says he knows them. They are them from the future. He then twigs that he must be in the future, too. He looks at Veil and says she quit. Does she come back? And what about the little girl? That means he and Finesse… Veil replies that there’s no time for any of this. She explains that they brought him there for a reason, an important reason. She just can’t tell him what it is. Reptil says he knows. They studied time paradoxes last semester. Veil is pleased that he is familiar with the problem. She explains that his adult self is back in his younger body and things are bad. To help him, they need him to cooperate and do what they say without question.
Reptil semi-transforms into a stegosaurus and asks how he can trust them. They kidnapped him! He knows for a fact that in some of their futures they are evil. How can he be sure this isn’t one of them? Veil backs away a little but replies that they’re trying to save all their lives, their timeline… their world. If this doesn’t work, she adds, his daughter will never be born. She knows he has no reason to trust them, but he’s asking him to do it anyway. He looks down at his innocent daughter and has little choice. “What do you need me to do?”
(soon)Striker and Veil fiddle with some equipment whilst Finesse stands, arms folded. Striker hugs his daughter and looks across at Finesse who asks him to stop staring at her. Humberto apologizes, but he can’t believe that they got together. She replies that they are divorced and he asks her why. She tells him she didn’t want kids. She was afraid. She knew she would develop memory problems like her father. She didn’t want to subject a child to that but he wanted one so badly, he convinced her that everything would be okay. It wasn’t. She grows so fast and her short-term memory is going. “What kind of mother forgets her own daughter?” she asks. The pain in her eyes when she realizes that is like a knife in her heart. She can’t imagine what it’s like for her daughter. Humberto hugs his daughter tight and stutters, “I… I’m sorry.”
Finesse asks him not to be. It wasn’t him. She finds that seeing him like this, all innocent. It brings back memories of what he was and for that she is grateful. She kisses him. He asks if he’s really that different when he grows up. She replies that they all are. It’s not some big sudden thing. It’s a lifetime of choices, mistakes and compromises… failures to act. They are things that cannot be taken back or undone. Humberto doesn’t believe that. He reckons that there are always choices, maybe not the ones you want or wish they’d made, but you have them. Deciding to stay mad and not even trying to fix things - that’s a choice too. He gets that there are reasons it wouldn’t work, like if he’s abusive or a drug addict or a serial killer, but that’s not what he’s hearing. He mentions that just now she remembered what it was like when they were young. He’s seeing it, too. Maybe when he gets back the two of them could maybe hold on to that. Finesse’s face light up and she asks if he really thinks that. Before he answers, Veil tells him they are ready.
(the present)Giant-Man attempts to shrink Hybrid using his Pym particles but the alien is wise to that. He creates a force-field and says he has no such limitations. He shrinks Pym instead and tells him he was kind to his human guise. Fatherly, even. It will amuse him to kill him as he did his own father. Reptil swings his tail and smacks Hybrid in the back, knocking him off balance. He then grabs him in his massive teeth. “No more killing,” he states. “From you, anyway.” Hybrid attempts to control Reptil’s mind but discovers two personas in one body: present and future. It matters not to him. He will only have to try harder. He assaults Reptil and almost renders him unconscious. He transforms into his human form and White Tiger rushes to his aid. Humberto looks up at her through half-closed eyes. He tells her he’s sorry for what he did to her. He thought he was protecting what is important, but she and Jeannie reminded him what really is… who he used to be. His voice trails off as he closes his eyes. Lightspeed asks if he’s dead, but Finesse replies that he’s breathing, just non-responsive. His mind is broken, because of him!
She turns to Hybrid as Striker unleashes a lightning bolt in his face. White Tiger wants to attack but Giant-Man steps in and points out that they’re not going to beat him head on. They have to fight smart. He explains that he found some data on Hybrid in the X-Men’s databanks. In the past, he was defeated by a weapon wielded by one of the Spaceknights. When Julie asks how they find him, Hank replies that they won’t, as he’s dead. His weapon disintegrated Hybrid at the atomic level and sent him to Limbo. He needs to figure out a way to reproduce that. He asks White Tiger to keep him occupied as her amulets appear to be one of the few things that hurt him. Without hesitation, she rushes off to battle. Hank asks Julie Power to grab Quicksilver and ask him to get the components on his databank from his dimensional door technology. He’ll need her help with something else.
As Mettle punches Hybrid and White Tiger leaps on him, Hank reckons Hybrid made a mistake by just shutting down his powers. He should have shut down his mind. He turns to Reptil and promises he’ll do everything possible to bring him back. As he speaks, however, Reptil wakes up and exclaims that he’s home.
(the future)Reptil collapses much to his daughter’s horror. She clutches his hand but Veil says he’s comatose. She’s sorry. She asks Finesse to being Reptil to the med-bay while she takes Maria. Finesse says no. She’ll take her. She’s her daughter after all and he did this for them.
(present)With Hawkeye and Lyra joining in keeping Hybrid busy, Quicksilver and Lightspeed build a giant portal. Finesse manipulates the wiring in the Sentinel’s hand and Hank says they need Hybrid in position. Hybrid throws his opponents off him and says their strategies are as ridiculous as they are transparent. Did they really think he would walk into their trap like a sheep? However, he suddenly finds himself unable to move. He demands to know what they’ve done to him. He then sees the Sentinel’s hand begin to glow and then looks behind him at the portal. It’s now activated and he can see Limbo through it. “No,” he cries, “Not Limbo. I’ll come back. I’ll come back and make you suffers as you’ve never…” The Sentinel fires, thrusting Hybrid into the portal, where his body disintegrates.
As the portal crashes, closing the link to Limbo, Hank asks Juston how that happened. Juston doesn’t know. Until they get its head back on, that shouldn’t have been possible. A voice from behind asks them to think a moment. It should be obvious. Hank turns around. “Jocasta!” he cries. “But… you’re… you died.” She replies that she is a machine intelligence. She cannot die as he understands it. But, she required him to think she had, otherwise she could not have done what was necessary. He would have interfered. He asks where the hell she’s been. Veil then appears and says she’s been with her. Striker says he knew it. She took over Hybrid’s body and beat him at his own pervy game. How did she know? Veil replies that Reptil called them, though she doesn’t know how he knew Jocasta was alive. Reptil admits that it’s kind of a long story.
Hank seems annoyed. He tells Jocasta that they’ve spent weeks thinking she was dead. The students were afraid there was a killer among them. Jocasta apologizes for the deception but it was necessary, as was her sudden reappearance. It’s far sooner than she’d have preferred. But, he brought a predator among the children and gave Hybrid an irresistible target. He failed to protect them and on the contrary, endangered them. This incident graphically proves what the data she collected showed as indisputable fact. Avengers Academy was a mistake and they are there to shut it down.


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Career Day
(Avengers Academy campus)Jocasta has appeared alive and well. To Giant-Man’s astonishment, she has stated that she wishes to close Avengers Academy. Hank wishes to examine her, as he believes that she is being manipulated, but Jocasta finds his attitude condescending, as if anyone who disagrees with him cannot possibly be in their right mind. And yet, she adds, she is not the one who nearly got dozens of children killed in a desperate attempt to mold them in her image. She tells Hank that it was for him that she focused all of her analytical power onto the question of what is best for their students. There is no disputing her conclusion. Avengers Academy must cease to exist.
Tigra snarls that it was a nice speech but then points to Veil, who quit Avengers Academy to take a high-paying job with Jeremy Briggs! It’s obvious to her that the little sociopath is bankrolling Jocasta, too. Jocasta asks if she really thinks that money holds any appeal for her, or that Jeremy’s ability to transform chemicals could unduly influence her conclusions. Tigra reckons that if he didn’t have something to hide he would be there. Veil tells her that Jeremy knew she’d be like this, which is why he stayed away.
Hank produces a small device and reiterates that he’d be much less suspicious of her motives if he could analyze her systems. “And repair anything you find objectionable? I think not,” she replies. Escaping his interference is the very reason she felt compelled to fake her death while she worked with Jeremy Briggs to construct an alternative to Avengers Academy. Hawkeye says they aren’t about to close down on her say-so. Has she been drinking Wonder Man’s Kool-Aid? He was there when his band of psychos attacked the Avengers. She asks Clint to calm himself. She has no connection to Simon. He made valid points but acted rashly and with excessive emotion. She isn’t there to fight them but to disable the technology that she installed - namely all of it. If they insist on pursuing this suicidal course then it will be without her assistance.
Quicksilver runs towards her and grabs the technological tendrils that have spread from her body. He tells her that if she insists on playing the self-righteous moralist then she will do so without annoying them. The equipment is the property of the Avengers and she will leave it on their campus. Jocasta’s eyes glow and she replies calmly, “I’m sorry Pietro. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” She then uses a concussive blast to knock down her old friends, explaining that it will cause no lasting damage. She wishes them no harm and has just saved all their lives.
As soon as she has accomplished her task, she states, then the discomfort will end. Hazmat is having none of it. She blasts Jocasta and Giant-Man congratulates her. They need to subdue Jocasta quickly. Quicksilver runs in circles around Veil, disorienting her so she cannot utilize her mist form. She tells Pietro that they don’t have to do this, but a voice from above says that they do. That’s the whole problem, they say. When you think you’re a hero, everyone else looks like a villain.
Everyone looks up to see Jeremy Briggs arriving on a cloud created by Cloud 9. Alongside them are Hardball, Komodo and Prodigy. Tigra asks if all the former Initiative kids are with Briggs now. Has everyone gone insane? Briggs replies that they’re simply coming to their senses, slowly but surely. Hardball adds that, if they’re spoiling for a fight, they’ll give them one. He creates a solidified energy field around Quicksilver as Hawkeye fires an arrow in Briggs’ direction.
Reptil immediately grows into a full-sized Sauropod dinosaur and uses his massive tale to sweep Komodo and Hardball off their feet, though Quicksilver and Tigra get caught up in the moment too. He orders them all to stop it. He quickly shrinks back to his normal size and reminds them that they just got done fighting for their lives. Isn’t there another way to do this? Veil believes he is right. There’s got to be a way to work it out. This is why she left. Can’t they be better?
Giant-Man asks Jocasta if she would object to a neutral third party running a scan to be sure she’s not being influenced. He’ll then be glad to let her delete her own work. Jocasta doesn’t think it’s the outcome she would prefer but it’s acceptable on one condition. Hawkeye asked how she plans to shut down Avengers Academy. The answer, quite simply, is by presenting a better way. She thinks the students should be allowed to hear what they’re doing and decide for themselves if they wish to join them. Pietro asks if she expects them to allow her to recruit their students on their soil? Hank, however, thinks that, if they refuse this, it’ll look like they have something to hide. They have a deal. “See,” says Jeremy Briggs. “We’re evolving already.”
Hank asks Jocasta who she trusts to run the diagnosis. He points out that Machine Teen is a robotic intelligence as well. He seems like an obvious choice. Adam is surprised and admits that he doesn’t know what’s going on. Jocasta says no offense, but she would prefer a truly impartial judge - one unencumbered by emotions. She asks Juston if he minds if they employ his Sentinel. Juston says that’s fine but they need to fish his head out of the ocean first. Hank grows to giant-size and climbs into the water. He reckons that repairing the Sentinel might take a while and he doesn’t want Briggs there any longer than necessary. He asks him to go ahead and say what he wants to say while he picks up the pieces.
Briggs tells the assembled crowd that they all want to save the world. So, what are the Avengers doing about global warming, human trafficking, the millions of kids who die of preventable diseases every year? They mean well but they’re stuck in simplistic, old ways of thinking. They don’t have to be. Veil adds that someone has to fight Dr. Doom, but should it be them? She isn’t the Hulk. She turns into gases. All she did against Dark Asgard was to choke bad guys to death, which is why she’s still taking antidepressants. Now, she and Jeremy are working on a way to cure autism and she’s getting paid enough to buy her mom a house. Jocasta then speaks, telling those listening that they were almost killed by a predator which targeted Avengers Academy. Not so long ago, forty-five students were murdered in a single attack at the X-school. A superhuman youth at a school for superhumans is twenty times more likely to die by violence than one living as a private citizen, she adds.
Prodigy states that he is an expert in stupid hero fights. He wrecked Vegas once. The city was mostly evacuated but he can’t deny people probably died because of him. The government wanted him to hide away. Jeremy offered him a chance to atone and to make a real difference in the world. Cloud, Komodo and Hardball all chip in, telling them that, if they feel trapped by their powers, Jeremy can help. They can work on whatever they care about most. Komodo admits that she’s close to finding the key to regrowing missing limbs. Cloud 9 says that she finally gets to use her powers however she wants. She keeps waiting for the catch but there isn’t one. This is for real. Jocasta concludes the speeches by informing them that she’s analyzed the data many times in countless ways. Avengers Academy is a dead end and they can offer a future. This is not opinion. This is science.
The students have their opinions on what has been said. Power Man, Batwing and Rocket Racer like what they hear but Lyra, Ricochet and Butterball aren’t overly impressed. Cloud 9 tells Tigra that with Jeremy she is her own boss. She never has to pick up a gun again. She can just fly as a paying job. She reckons that if she’d been there during the blitz in Washington she’d have wanted her to be a sniper. “Don’t even tell me I’m wrong,” she says. Striker asks Veil if she’s serious about this. Veil replies that she meant every word. It feels like she finally figured out where she belongs. Striker says that’s fine but how does she know it’s for everyone. She’s kinda being like those people who get married and all of a sudden want everyone else to. Veil tells him she doesn’t care what people do. She told them what she thought and now it’s up to them.
Maddie then pauses and says that’s a lie. She cares what he does. She knows Striker wants to be a super hero and wants to be famous. She’s afraid that he’s going to stay at the academy for the publicity and he’s going to get himself killed. She doesn’t think she could stand that. “So,” he replies, “I’m gay.” Veil simply responds with, “Well, duh.” Jeremy Briggs tells Finesse that Veil told him she admitted she might have been wrong about him. Finesse corrects him. What she said was that she has no direct evidence of him having committed a crime, but she does know that he is a murderer. She tells him to get out of her sight.
Hazmat then approaches him and she asks if he still think she could make her and Mettle normal again. Briggs says absolutely. She tells him that Ken won’t go. She just talked to him about it. He’d feel more out of place in an office than he does there. He’s given up on ever being human again. She thinks there might be… other reasons, too. She glances over at Mettle and X-23, who are getting on famously. She admits that she’s not even sure he’s wrong. Maybe he could be happy there. She hands Jeremy a few pieces that broke off Mettle’s body when X-23 stabbed him. She says Ken won’t go with him but if he promises to work on fixing him, she will.
Meanwhile, Giant Man places the Sentinel’s head back on and asks Jocasta where this is coming from. The Avengers are her family. They gave her a place to belong. Jocasta welds the Sentinel’s head on with her optic beam and replies that she is grateful for that but adds that the Avengers have also been the cause of much pain in her short existence. She believes they have held back her development as a sentient being. One might argue the same for Hank. She says he has quit the Avengers several times to pursue science exclusively or to benefit his marriage. He returned only when he felt insecure or the challenges became too daunting or he had nowhere else to go. She asks if he’s ever wondered where he might be today had he not run to the comfort of a familiar place every time he felt weak.
Hank doesn’t respond but instead shrinks to normal size. He asks the Sentinel if it’s receiving and it replies, “Affirmative.” Hank asks it to proceed with the requested protocol. The Sentinel uses cables sprouting from its fingers to hook into Jocasta and do a quick analysis. It states that the virus scan is negative, the tamper scan is negative and there is no external influence showing. Jocasta trusts that Hank is satisfied. Hank says that he is and that, as promised, she can tap into the mainframe and remove all her work. While she does, though, he’d like to say something to the group.
He grows in size again so that everyone can see him and says that he believes in the Avengers. They came together to face threats no single individual could withstand to make the world a safer place. Perhaps it was a simpler time, he wonders. Perhaps they were naïve. Jocasta just asked him where he’d be without the Avengers. He’s thought long and hard about that and he knows that, without question, he would be dead or insane or in prison and not doing anyone much good. He explains that he’s faced hard times as a result of being an Avenger, but he’s also experienced some of the greatest moments of his life; seen things and done things no other scientist can imagine. He’s had the privilege of fighting beside some of the greatest heroes and best friends the world has ever seen and he’s found happiness… probably more than he deserves.
He continues to say that, if he’d never become an Avenger, he might have lived a quiet, contented, productive life as a researcher. But, it’s just as likely he’d have struggled with the same demons - depression, mental illness and suicidal thoughts and never made it out the other side. And, he’d never have had the honor of teaching them. He concludes by pointing out that he is a better man because of the Avengers than he would have been without. Apart from his concerns about Briggs, he realizes Jocasta’s point is a valid one, but so is his. The Avengers make the world a better place.
Once he has concluded his speech, Jeremy Briggs asks everyone to decide, but Reptil cuts him off, wishing to say something himself. He tells them that he just came from the future where Veil was back with them. They were all together as teammates and as friends. He gets the feeling that things went differently for them; that they faced Hybrid alone and a bunch of them died. That’s what made them put aside their differences. When he returned, he found that they worked together to beat Hybrid because his future-self called them. They did something that none of them could have done alone. Can’t they learn the same lesson without people dying? he asks. They might want to do things differently, but that doesn’t mean they can’t stay in touch and help each other when it makes sense. He tells Jocasta that it’s basic strategy that they can accomplish more together than apart.
Reptil says to Jeremy that he rejects the old ways of thinking, right? Well, so does he. He rejects anything that says he can’t see his friends because they don’t think exactly the same way. Briggs says that he actually likes the idea and so does Giant Man. He’d hate to leave things hostile between himself and Jocasta. Jocasta admits that they did defeat Hybrid by combining all their strengths. It’s to their mutual advantage to cooperate at times. Hank turns to Briggs and says he has just one thing. He will not deal with him. Briggs replies that even if all those nasty things people say about him are true, isn’t he all about redemption? Hank tells him that to be redeemed you have to take responsibility for what you’ve done and be sorry. Briggs says that the only thing to decide, in that case, is who’s staying and who’s going.
The White Tiger, X-23, Lightspeed, Striker and Reptil are all happy to stay at the academy but Veil still believes her future lies with Briggs. Rocket Racer and Machine Teen decide to go with Briggs too. Rocket Racer says he’s more an engineer than a super hero, and Machine Teen explains that he came to the academy to work with Jocasta. Hank wishes them well and assures them they are welcome back anytime. Hazmat also wishes to leave which surprises Mettle, but Briggs tells her she doesn’t have to go. He says he doesn’t want anyone who doesn’t want to be there. If her heart is at the academy, she should stay. His door is always open and he’ll still take care of her little project. “You will?” she asks, amazed. He turns and says that only good can come of it, but his sly expression says otherwise.
Jocasta informs Hank that she maintained contact because she hopes she may yet convince him that he is harming the children or mitigate the damage when he learns the hard way. “Funny,” replies Hank, “That’s how I feel about you.” Cloud 9 creates a solid cloud and steps on alongside Briggs, Jocasta and the rest. Jocasta tells him that they’ve found something they can agree on. Perhaps there is yet hope for tomorrow.
(twenty years from now)Veil stands over a capsule holding the comatose Reptil. She knows that he failed them but he deserves better than this. Giant Man replies that he’ll do all he can. If his mind is in there somewhere, he’ll reach it. And, he didn’t fail. Madeleine points out that he didn’t make things work out the way they remember. It was after Hybrid killed all those students that everything changed for them. It was when Hank changed and realized they needed to work together to make the world safe.
Hank replies that this is the genius behind what Reptil did. He set them on the same path without the fatalities. It might take a bit longer to get there but they will. In fact, he adds, according to his calculations, their world is now more likely to become theirs than it was before they sent Reptil back. The things that matter will still happen. The timestream isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. There are many futures. Achieving your goal, he adds, is about making some more likely than others. Thanks to what Reptil did, his instruments now show that, not just in this reality but countless others, they will see the desperate need. They will put aside their differences and save the world from itself.


[User]
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[Assistant]
Protective Services part 1
(Avengers Academy athletic field, Ancient History 101 with guest instructor Hercules)The students are outside on a sunny day, just like they would be any other day. However, today is a little different, as Hercules is on campus, standing there completely naked. As they stare at him with surprised looks on their faces, he asks them to rejoice as he is recreating the very first Olympics as one who took part. He asks them to imagine the finest warriors in Greece coming together with no protection from the sun but for the oil coating their unclad bodies. They should burn the sight before them into their memory forever. “Already done,” quips Hazmat.
He turns to Mettle and Striker and asks which of them would like to assist in his wrestling demonstration. Mettle tells Striker that it’s all his. He’s the one who’s into guys. Striker replies that Hercules is too bearish for him. Besides, he hates to think what static electricity would do to all that hair. Tigra approaches and spots Hercules, noting his appearance. He smiles and tells her that she can be his opponent, though it won’t be historically accurate as women weren’t allowed to compete in the games… despite his urging to the contrary. She thrusts his pants at him and asks him to put them on, but he replies that he no longer wears pants. He finds them too confining. Tigra doesn’t care what he uses as long as he covers himself. Hasn’t he noticed that in the past several hundred years public nudity became a no-no?
Before the problem can be decided, Reptil notes that they have company. Captain America, Quicksilver and Hawkeye step off their ship and inform them that something’s happened. Pietro says it’s exactly as he warned since the idiots took his father in. They are at war with the X-Men. X-23 is quite shocked at the news. Cap says it’s not like that, but Pietro snarls that the Phoenix Force, which consumes planets, is returning to Earth, most likely to take Hope as its host… a young lady the X-Men refuse to allow them to protect. They intend to welcome this extinction-level threat based on the naïve possibility that they can control it and create a new golden age for mutants. They fought them, he adds, and won. Some X-Men escaped and they took some others prisoner. What would Cap call that if not war?
Hawkeye replies that he would call it a bad situation which they don’t want to make worse. They have to find Hope for her own sake and everyone else’s and they must do it before the X-Men do. Tigra agrees and wishes to leave with them, but Hank Pym says they actually need to stay at the campus. Tigra doesn’t know if he just wishes to protect her, but Clint assures her that Pym is correct. When the X-Men took off, they left their kids behind. They need a safe place for them, somewhere where they won’t get mixed up in the craziness. The Academy will be like a sort of child protective services for mutants as their facility as they’re equipped for this kind of thing.
At that moment, Wolverine walks off the ship, followed by a group of mutants including Sebastian Shaw, Pixie, the Cuckoo’s and Madison Jeffries. He apologizes for springing this on them, but Avengers Academy is about to get a hell of a lot more crowded.
Hank wishes to emphasize that this is a school and not a prisoner of war camp. Logan has no argument with that. He and Cyclops split over his notion that kids should be part of his army but they ain’t. No matter what Quicksilver said, they are not prisoners. He can’t put them at his school, as there’s too much history and they’re liable to drag his own students into this. Things are moving fast and he needs them out of the way of what comes next. He introduces Tigra to Dr. Kavita Rao and Madison Jeffries, part of Utopia’s science team. They’re not thrilled about this but they’ve agreed to be chaperones. Hercules tells them that he shall remain with them. His rapport with youth is unparalleled and they can witness how well his young friend Amadeus Cho turned out for proof.
Hank mentions that he already has countermeasures at the school against teleportation and mind control, but beyond that he opposes the dampening of anyone’s powers. Cap agrees. They’ve done nothing wrong. It’s just that they can’t have them interfering in the fight for their own protection. Madison also agrees, but points out that they have a bunch of willful, rebellious and strong-minded kids there. Cap says he knows, which is why he’s asking for their help. He turns to the full-time academy students and asks them to welcome the kids from Utopia and show them the advantages of Avengers Academy. But, if they attempt to leave, attack, or do anything that would escalate the conflict… they must stop them.
He turns back to Hank and informs him that Iron Man wishes to consult with him about a special project. Striker asks Tigra if they can, like, taser them, but she asks them to use the minimum force necessary to stop an escape and to alert herself or Mr. Jeffries at their first opportunity. Madison asks them to do that before tasering anyone. They agreed to this to prevent violence.
X-23 approaches Wolverine who turns. “Yeah,” he says. “I thought you might want a word.” Laura tells him she used to hear the others speculate about this jokingly, but if it came to a choice, who would he choose? Logan replies that he didn’t choose anyone. He just did what he had to do. He recalls the bad old days of Dark Phoenix and says she never saw it. If Jeannie couldn’t control it, no one can. Laura replies that he pushed her to make her own decisions. She chose not to be part of his war with Cyclops but now he’s brought the war to her. Logan apologizes for that, but he brought the kids to the academy to keep them clear of the bad stuff. The adults who ought to know better are acting like jerks and he isn’t sure he can live with what he’s got to do, but he sure as hell knows he can’t live with them getting mixed up in it. He needs her help here. Laura turns, annoyed, but replies that she will do what she is able.
Before the Avengers leave, Wolverine has one last thing to say. He tells Sebastian Shaw that if he thinks he’s going to be let loose with a bunch of kids then he’s dreaming. Shaw assures everyone that he gathers he used to be quite an unpleasant man, but that was someone else. His memory has been wiped and he has no recollection of who he was. Logan tells him that what happened with the Phoenix last time was his fault. The Cuckoos then point out that Shaw is lying. He’s seen the file on himself and knows everything. Shaw replies that it might be true, but he doesn’t remember any of it.
Madison points out that Shaw can absorb kinetic energy so he can retrofit a holding cell so its walls do the same. He won’t be able to break out. Logan snikts his claws and tells Shaw that it’s his call. He can go easy or hard but they’re in a hurry. Shaw replies that he understands he beat Wolverine quite badly once and wishes he could recall that, but if he is given some books to keep him occupied he will go quietly.
(moments later)The ship leaves with the Avengers allowing the students to settle in with their new colleagues at the Academy. Hercules states that they are not prisoners and there will be no torture of any kind. Tigra quite rightly takes over introductions from him and admits that these are far from ideal conditions but hopefully they can make the best of it. They may find out they have much more in common than they think. She asks them what they know about Avengers Academy. Surge replies first, saying that from what X-23 told her, it’s the kind of place where people don’t get punished for something they might do. But, even though they’ve done nothing wrong they aren’t allowed to leave. Does that sound about right? Before Tigra can even explain, Surge turns and asks her to just show her where the TV is. Tigra says she thought they’d become acquainted with some sports games, but Surge decides to pass. Hasn’t Tigra heard? There’s a war on. Hercules suggests they continue this war, but on the athletics field… unless they don’t care to know who is better. He turns and grins at Tigra, saying no warrior can resist the Olympics.
The first to compete are Lightspeed and Transonic. They crouch down at the edge of a cliff for an aerial sprint. Transonic tells ‘blondie’ that she’s going down, but Julie replies that she actually went up against a girl who flies really fast not long ago - Karolina Dean of the Runaways. When Laurie asks how that went, Julie smiles sideways at her and informs her that they’re now dating. Laurie is surprised at the comment, but it was simply Julie’s way of throwing her off balance. She takes off, leaving Transonic in her wake. “It’s on,” she smiles as she takes up her pursuit.
Dust becomes reacquainted with X-23. Her attempts at conversation are met with one word responses, and she tells Laura that she is the same as ever. Laura tells her she smells healthy and hopes she is well. Dust quips that she made an attempt at courtesy. Perhaps this place is good for her after all. However, for future reference, it isn’t polite to comment on a person’s odor. Laura replies that she can only see Sooraya’s eyes. “I have missed you,” says Sooraya. She asks Laura if she agrees with what the Avengers have done with them. Laura tells her she doesn’t have enough information to decide. Dust replies that she understands and she has come far in making her own decisions. Apparently she has yet to learn there are some things that you just know.
As Lightspeed and Transonic cross the finishing line almost neck and neck, Loa and Finesse prepare to duel it out in a surfing contest. Loa tells her she doesn’t look like a surfer, but Finesse informs her that she has studied many videos and can duplicate the maneuvers of the last five world champions. Mettle tells her that her photographic reflexes won’t help her. Every wave is its own beast. “You surf?” asks Loa, incredulously. Mettle says he used to. He’s Hawaiian, born and bred. Loa says she is too. How come she’s not up against him? Mettle replies, with regret, that he can’t any more. He just sinks.
To this, Loa informs him that she is named after a worm because she can tunnel through rock and earth. Hazmat asks so what. She’s already made him feel bad, but having a lame power doesn’t make it okay. Loa replies that her power has its uses. Moments later, she is tearing through the ground leaving a wave of rock upon which Mettle can surf. He loves it, getting a similar feeling of riding a wave. Loa says it’s not the same as a killer wave, but… Mettle asks if she’s kidding. That was righteous! It felt like being back on the Banzai Pipeline. Before he can go on, Hazmat hugs Loa and thanks her, saying as far as she’s concerned the X-Men Win. She then asks who’s for a cookout on the beach.
Angrily, Velocidad asks if they’re insane. Hope’s missing, possessed by who knows what and, if Wolverine finds her, he’s going to kill her. The Avengers just invaded their home and took them prisoner and she expects them to play beach blanket bingo with their sidekicks? Surge reckons he’s right and, if they think they are being harsh, then they should think about what they’ll do if the academy teachers ever decide their students are too dangerous to make their own decisions. They will end up in protective custody too… for their own good, of course. It looks to her like the teachers have them on a pretty tight leash. She turns and walks away with Pixie, Velocidad, Primal and Dust. “Now, about that TV.”
(the training room, later)X-23 has a training session, tearing through a horde of killer robots. Finesse asks if she can participate, too. Laura has no problem with that so Finesse takes her Billy club and joins in. As they wade through the robots, Finesse asks if those people were her friends. Laura replies that she studied with them and shared rooms with others, but she isn’t sure she would call them friends. She’s not even sure that she understands the word.
Finesse is pleased to hear that. She thought she was the only one. Laura leaps and slashes down at a robot. She says that people tell her she must determine what she wants irrespective of others, but then they seek to direct her actions. Finesse kicks another opponent and replies that it’s contradictory behavior and she finds it off-putting. She has worked to expand her knowledge base in the hope that it would help her understand. Laura asks if it has. “No,” replies Finesse. With all their opponents destroyed, Laura asks if she wishes to go again. “Yes,” replies Finesse as she leaps at a fresh batch of robots.
(the holding cells)Tigra and Madison Jeffries stand outside Sebastian Shaw’s cell and can hear a ‘whump whump’ noise coming from inside. Tigra reckons Shaw is testing the walls, but Madison assures her that it won’t do any good. They’ll absorb every bit of kinetic energy from his punches. Tigra asks if he’s sure. From what she’s heard, he’s a pretty tough customer. Madison informs her that when he’s powered up, sure. If he’d been punched by Thor he could probably hit the walls with so much energy that they’d overload, but he wasn’t. They didn’t give him a chance to build up any power. He thinks they should let him wear himself out and maybe he’ll go to sleep.
Inside the cell, unseen by them, Sebastian Shaw hits a book against his head, hard. Eight hours later, Shaw is still doing it, but now the energy has built up inside his body. He kneels up and prepares to punch through the floor.
At the campus monitoring station, Tigra asks if there have been any problems overnight. Madison replies that their kids seem understandably upset but it’s mostly taking the form of outraged rants. She asks if he really thinks this Hope girl can control the Phoenix. Madison doesn’t know, but what he does know is that her fate shouldn’t be decided by whoever can hit the hardest.
They then hear a loud noise and rush to Shaw’s cell, only to discover a hole in the floor. Tigra asks how he could possibly have managed that. Madison looks around at the books and realizes what Shaw has done. He is impressed. He asks where it leads. Tigra looks down and says it goes to the storm drains which then lead to the ocean. Madison reckons they should get out there now. If Wolverine’s afraid of the man, he doesn’t even want to think about what he’s capable of.


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Protective Services part 2
(Avengers Academy, student lounge)Wiz-Kid, Hazmat, Ricochet and X-23 are gathered together to discuss recent events at the school. Wiz-Kid explains that he’s asked them to come because they have something in common. They are students, but they are also mutants. He explains that the Avengers being at war with the X-Men puts them in a difficult position. When they brought all the X-kids over for ‘protective custody,’ it got worse. He asks if anyone else is uncomfortable acting as prison guards for folks just like them.
Hazmat raises her hand and informs him that she isn’t a mutant, but Wiz-Kid replies that it might be true, but she is Japanese. People rounded up because of their race, imprisoned over some perceived loyalty to the enemy, even when they haven’t done anything wrong? “Sound familiar?” he asks. Hazmat knows what he’s talking about… the internment camps from World War II. She asks if he’s seriously going there. Her great-grandfather was in one, crammed together with three families and no heat. These kids have rooms with cable and the internet! Ricochet says that a comfortable cage is still a cage. However, the guys from X-Men’s science club are going along with it.
Wiz-Kid reckons they might not have much choice. It bugs him. He turns to Laura and tells her that she knows both sides better than any of them. What does she think? Ricochet points out that she is Wolverine junior and he’s the one who brought the kids to them in the first place. He knows where she stands. “Do you?” asks Laura as she walks away. “I wish you would tell me.”
(situation room)Hercules is preparing for a fight by taping up a golden shield. Tigra holds his helmet and informs those present that Sebastian Shaw broke out of his cell two minutes ago. Hercules says the miscreant cannot escape the Mighty Hercules, but Madison Jeffries wishes escape was their greatest concern. He explains that Shaw broke through into the storm drains which empty into the ocean. But, the security web at sea level hasn’t detected him which means he is still there. He explains that Shaw is one of the X-Men’s deadliest enemies. He converts energy into physical power, but it’s his ruthlessness that sets him apart. His memory was recently wiped and he’s supposedly been trying to build a new life, but he’s just learned the truth about the man he once was… in detail. Dr. Rao adds that if escape wasn’t his motive they must conclude that it was revenge, specifically against Emma Frost who erased his memories. The worst thing that ever happened to Emma was when her students were killed. Shaw knows how much that hurt her and how much it would hurt if it happened again.
Madison reckons they should evacuate the students, but Tigra thinks that it might play right into his hands. After a recent attack, Giant-Man upgraded their defenses. Each dorm-room has its own protection. This is the most secure location in Southern California. Their security web frees them to look for Shaw and can help them find him. Hercules says that, even so, they should alert the students. They are warriors. Again, Tigra disagrees. She feels that the situation is too tense and this could be the spark that tips them into chaos.
Dr. Rao agrees with her. Several of the students consider Shaw a friend and only know him as a harmless, befuddled amnesiac. They may try and help him. Tigra thinks that’s even more of a reason to take him down. She asks Dr. Rao to stay there and coordinate their efforts. The rest of them will fan out. Madison tells them that if they find him they should sound the alarm before engaging him. Their powers match up well against him but they should underestimate Shaw at their peril. He believes one can erase a man’s memories but you can’t erase who he truly is and history proves Shaw is two things - he’s a survivor and a killer!
Outside, Hazmat catches up with X-23, who asks what they will decide. Hazmat replies with sarcasm that they’ll decide that they love to listen to themselves talk, but she knows they’re kinda worried that Laura will narc on them. Laura assures her that she won’t. Hazmat asks what she meant when she said she was conflicted. Is she conflicted or does she honestly not know how she feels about stuff? Laura replies that she was raised to obey orders and to suppress her feelings. It’s hard for most people to understand. Hazmat says she might be surprised, but adds that in the end, Laura went her own way, yes? Laura tells her that she did in matters of death and survival, but she has difficulty with more nuanced situations.
They look down and see Mettle surfing again in Loa’s wake. Hazmat says that it’s one of the things she likes about Ken. He just knows how he feels and he puts it right out there. It’s so pure. The X-kids and academy kids might be all ‘West Side Story’ but he and Loa don’t care. They’re surfing. It must be a Hawaiian thing. Laura replies by asking if it makes her happy that she relates to him on this level. “Of course,” replies Hazmat, explaining that he missed surfing so much and Loa found a way to let him do it again. Laura then asks why Jenny becomes angry when she speaks to him.
Jenny admits that it’s stupid. It all started when ‘evil’ Reptil said something about her and Ken hooking up just to mess with her head. Ken killed someone in the war against the serpent. Does she know what that’s like? She then remembers who she’s talking to and says the whole Ken thing has nothing to do with her. They were getting hot and heavy when she freaked out and ran away. It wasn’t him, though, she adds. Her powers first kicked in when she was with her old boyfriend and he almost died of a seizure. She can’t stop seeing it, especially when she’s with Ken. He’s immune to her powers and she knows that in her head, but it doesn’t change how she feels.
Jenny knows that Ken thinks she’s lying and that it’s all about his looks, but it’s really not. He’s such a sweet guy and he really cares about her, so maybe she should just suck it up. Laura disagrees. She thinks that if it feels wrong she shouldn’t do it; not to please someone else. She will lessen herself. “What if I lose him?” asks Hazmat. Laura replies that she will be sad, but she will be strong. Hazmat reckons Laura knows pretty damn well how she feels about things. She’d say her problem is is that she doesn’t sweat the small stuff, and she knows what they say. It’s all small stuff!
(the lower storm drains)Madison Jeffries has armored up and is scanning the tunnels, wading through a few inches of water in search of Sebastian Shaw. He radios back to Dr. Rao that he’s picked up his trail. There isn’t much tech down there but what there is reads him headed towards the main generators. It looks like he’s trying to cripple the security web.
From nowhere, Shaw swings from an overhead pipe and kicks Jeffries. He informs him that he is indeed headed there. But, with him around to fix them there wouldn’t be much point. Jeffries stands and replies that Shaw has expended a lot of energy smashing his way into the tunnels. Grabbing him with cables from the wall, he adds that he bets Shaw was betting on him recharging him. Well, he can stop Shaw without hitting him. Shaw then snaps an electric cable and walks into it. He tells Jeffries that he has a common misconception about his powers. It’s true that kinetic energy works best, but he can absorb any form of energy... including electricity. He smashes Jeffries in the face and his armored helmet is ripped from his head. “I’m shutting this place down, and you with it,” exclaims Shaw. Jeffries radios for back up, but Shaw finishes him off before continuing his journey.
Up above, Reptil chats with Finesse. He tells her that he saw the future and they were together. They are meant to be together. Finesse replies that he saw a possible future, one of many. It has minimal bearing on their lives. Humberto admits that he thought, time-travel aside, that there was something between them. Finesse replies that there was, but the more he tries to limit her choices, the weaker it becomes. X-23 appears and wishes to speak to Finesse. Reptil tells her he hasn’t finished, but Finesse says they have and Reptil leaves, disappointed.
The two girls head to the research library and Laura informs Finesse that she needs more information on the dispute between the X-Men and the Avengers. Finesse access the computer and brings up an image of Jean Grey as Dark Phoenix. She explains that she was the first Earthbound host of the Phoenix. Laura replies that Wolverine loved her too and it hurts him to speak of her. Finesse says Jean Grey couldn’t control the Phoenix Force and the central question seems to be whether it’s presumed the new host, Hope, can.
There are two schools of thought, she continues. Some believe that Hope is the savior of mutantkind and that she will use the Phoenix to create a utopia. The time-traveler Bishop, whose face appears on the monitor, believed that she would kill a million human beings in an instant - bringing about a dark future. X-23 says she is acquainted with Hope. What she seeks is hard data supporting either position. Finesse admits that there is none. It is all conjecture and speculation. The X-Men believe Hope can control the Phoenix Force and the Avengers do not. They want to hide her from it. Ultimately, they are all motivated by their own instincts and emotions.
Laura tells her that she is used to relying on her instincts, but in this case it isn’t working. Finesse replies that history supports the Avengers’ position. In the past, hosts have been corrupted by the Phoenix. But, that’s not what is bothering Laura is it? She wants to decide whether she stands with her current classmates or her former ones. Laura admits that she dislikes seeing them held against their will. She understands that it’s for their protection but it’s also true that if left alone they would likely endanger themselves. It’s ridiculous to compare it to internment camps or prisons, but it’s also not far from the mark. Finesse tells her that the choice is being taken away from them. Laura knows this, but she is concerned that her own emotions and prejudices, having been confined most of her life, are affecting her feelings. Finesse replies that this is not her area of expertise, but perhaps they should. Laura thanks her and says she doesn’t know why the others call her cold. Finesse asks if she’s helped Laura make a decision. They look down at the two opposing sides squaring off against each other. “Not yet,” replies Laura.
(Subbasement two)Shaw is making his way through the subbasement when he hears a voice come out of thin air ordering him to surrender. Shaw turns and sees no one, but figures it’s Hercules using magic to remain invisible. He asks if he is afraid to face him man to man. Hercules replies no, but there are children’s lives at stake and he can take no risks. Shaw smashes him in the face which makes him visible again. “You did that by talking, idiot,” snarls Shaw.
The Helm of Hades, the helmet that rendered him invisible is knocked clean off. Hercules figures it’s just as well. Subterfuge in battle offends his honor. Shaw tells him he understands that Hercules used to be his match, but now he’s barely stronger than a normal man. Hercules replies that he understands nothing. He tears the tape from the Shield of Perseus and informs Shaw that it turns any man to stone. Shaw simply closes his eyes and knocks the shield from his grasp.
Shaw tells Hercules that he quite well educated, apparently, and he knows what the gaze of Gorgon does. Hercules then pulls out the Sword of Peleus, stating that it can cut through anything and has little force for Shaw to turn against him. He slashes at Shaw, but when the blade connects it charges him up. Shaw laughs and finds it interesting that it appears he can absorb some magical energy as well. He smashes Herc into the ground, suggesting that next time he tries a normal sword.
Up above, Reptil, Striker and White Tiger confront some of the X-students, with Reptil asking what part of ‘confined to campus’ they don’t understand. Surge replies that they understand it, they just don’t accept it. She’s heard good things about Roscoe’s chicken and waffles and figures she’ll go get some. Do they think they can stop her? Mettle and Loa arrive and Ken tries to calm things down. He thought they were cool. Velocidad replies that they’re not. Most of them can actually tell when they are being discriminated against.
Reptil asks the approaching Lightspeed to call Tigra but she says she has tried. The comms are down. The White Tiger warns the students that this is not a fight they want. They are outnumbered. However, Ricochet, Wiz-Kid and Hollow appear and Johnny informs her that, actually, they are with the X-kids. They stand with them, but Crosta has had enough. He exclaims that he is Atlantean and cares nothing for their surface disputes. Great change is coming, he adds. Salvation or destruction, he must stand with his people.
As he leaps towards the water, Juston Seyfert’s Sentinel catches him and closes its fingers around him. It asks Crosta politely not to leave the school grounds. Surge can’t believe that they have a Sentinel. Reptil knows this could be trouble and wonders where the heck Tigra is.
(laboratory 4)Tigra is busy confronting Sebastian Shaw who points out that her self-powered defenses are impressive but useless. She warns him that he isn’t getting anywhere near the kids, but he asks if she really thinks she can stop him. “I know I can,” she replies as she leaps over him and wraps her arms around his neck in a choke position. She tells him she doesn’t need to hit him. She doesn’t care how tough he is. His brain needs blood and if she pinches off the carotid arteries and jugular veins, he’s going down. Shaw leaps backwards and smashes her against the wall, taking them both right through it. She releases her grip as she falls unconscious. He rubs his neck and tells her that, of all of them, she came the closest to stopping him. However, nothing is going to keep him from this.
Meanwhile, as the Sentinel defends itself from the students, Lightspeed remarks that they kept a Sentinel on campus! Knowing what they represent? Reptil replies that he told Juston to keep it out of sight, but he needed him to secure the perimeter. The thing is built to detect mutants. As Dust flies over it trying to block its vision, she corrects Reptil in that it’s built to kill mutants. Juston, at its controls, assures Dust that it’s not like that anymore. “Destroy all mutants,” states the Sentinel. Juston nervously informs them that he just says that when he’s over-stimulated. Surge powers up and says she’ll melt its brain, but Wiz-Kid leaps to its defense and tells her it’s a good Sentinel. They play basketball…
Transonic topples Wiz-Kid from his chair and asks everyone to decide what side they’re on. X-23 leaps towards the Sentinel and replies that she has. She points out that there are sound reasons behind the Avengers bringing them there but many of them might make stupid choices if they left on their own. But, to deny them those choices because they are young… that isn’t right. She rips into the glass behind which Juston sits and the Sentinel says, “Alert. Protect Juston.” X-23 replies that it can protect him if it likes, but if it strikes her it might hit Juston. She assures him that she won’t hurt him, but he’s going to have to take the Sentinel away from there… Now! Juston can take a hint and he walks the Sentinel into the sea out of harm’s way.
Hazmat asks X-23 if she’s turning against them after they accepted her. From what she’s heard, they never did. With everyone gathered around, Laura replies that they did accept her and Jenny helped her reach a decision. She understands why the Avengers brought the X-kids to the academy. There are, she adds, too many ways to justify something that is wrong, but they don’t change the fact that it is wrong. There are few things more precious you can take from someone than their free will.
“I couldn’t agree more,” replies Sebastian Shaw, who now stands above them, chest bared. “Hello children. How convenient to find you all here.”