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Peter followed the Professor and Storm through the grand hallways of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The other teachers stayed behind to speak to the students, addressing the chaos that had unfolded moments before. As they walked, Professor Xavier turned his head slightly toward Peter.
"Was it truly necessary to scare the students like that?" he asked, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of concern.
Peter shrugged. "Yes and no. I probably could have done things differently, but I don't feel like I did anything wrong. They needed to be taught a lesson for what they did."
Both the Professor and Storm raised a brow at his response. They continued walking until they reached Xavier's office. The Professor motioned for Peter to enter, and once they were inside, he closed the door behind them.
"And what exactly did the students do wrong?" Xavier inquired, rolling his chair behind the large wooden desk.
Peter took a seat opposite him, glancing briefly at Storm, who remained standing with her arms crossed. "When I arrived, I was met with a crying girl, surrounded by hostile students. And when I finally got the students to speak, as they were refusing to explain what was going on, they told me they were fearful of her. Apparently, she used her powers on some boy, who's now in the infirmary."
Storm's eyes widened slightly. "You're talking about Rogue, right?"
Peter nodded. "Yeah. They had her in tears before she left. It was quite heartbreaking to watch."
The Professor paused for a moment, looking deeply concerned. "Wait, she left? As in, left the school?"
Peter confirmed it, stating, "I tried to offer my help and get her to stay, but she refused. It seems that Scott's words hurt her a bit too much."
Xavier looked at Peter in disbelief, as if trying to reconcile this information with what he knew about Scott Summers. "Are we talking about the same Scott? Scott Summers is a model student..."
Storm looked livid. "What did Scott say to her?"
"I don't know the exact words," Peter admitted. "But the other students confirmed that Scott was talking with Rogue before she started crying. From what I've gathered, the boy in the infirmary is his best friend or something, so he wasn't very happy or forgiving with her."
Storm frowned, her expression darkening. "I see." She turned to the Professor and excused herself. "I'll go and find Rogue before something bad happens. Perhaps she'll be willing to explain what happened, so that we can get the full picture."
The Professor nodded as she left, and Peter called out, "Good luck. She wasn't very talkative with me, but maybe she'll feel more comfortable with you."
Storm glanced over her shoulder as she left, nodding. "I hope so." She walked out of the room, leaving Peter and the Professor in silence.
As Storm left, the room fell silent for a moment. Professor Xavier turned his attention fully to Peter. "Alright," he began, his tone shifting to one of stern seriousness, "before we get into whatever business you wanted to discuss, I'd like to make something clear."
Peter, taken aback by the sudden change in demeanor, listened intently as the Professor continued. Xavier's eyes seemed to bore into him with an almost menacing intensity.
"Although I understand that the students were at fault, especially Scott by the looks of it, you are not a teacher or a staff member of this school. You cannot go around 'teaching the students a lesson,' especially when that lesson includes using your mutant abilities on them. Yes, they were wrong, but at the end of the day, they are children. Leave it to the school to reprimand them."
Peter couldn't really argue with his words, so he nodded amiably. "I understand. I'll do my best to control myself if there ever is a next time. But," he added with a hint of firmness, "the school should do its best to make sure there is no next time."
The Professor nodded seriously. "We will do our very best." He couldn't help but smile a bit, realizing that despite Peter's harsh first impression, he seemed to be a good man. This realization lifted a weight from Xavier's shoulders.
"How old are you?" Xavier couldn't help but ask.
"Fifteen, why?" Peter answered.
"That's what I thought," Xavier nods, an impressed look on his face. "You just seem so mature that I started second-guessing myself. Usually, young mutants aren't so calm and collected."
However, Peter's next words left the Professor puzzled. "Thanks for the compliment, but I think you may be confused. I'm not a mutant, at least I don't think I am."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "But how? I saw your gifts. Telekinesis, right?" As he spoke, he demonstrated by lifting a cup from his desk with his own telekinesis. "That is a mutant ability, is it not? Are you sure you're not just confused?"
Peter shook his head. "No, my powers are all from hard work. They didn't just awaken out of nowhere."
This revelation bewildered the Professor, who leaned forward with keen interest. "How is that possible?" he asked, clearly intrigued.
Peter smiled. "I can explain another day, but for now, we should probably get back on track. I have an important matter to discuss with you."
The Professor nodded, still curious but understanding the need to focus. "Very well, let's proceed with your business."
"But before we get to that…" Peter glanced over at the nearby bookshelf and raised an eyebrow.
His subtle expression caught Xavier's attention. "Is there something wrong?" the Professor asked.
Peter didn't reply immediately. Instead, he raised his hand and telekinetically broke off a portion of the wall behind the shelf. The sudden action alarmed the Professor.
"What are you doing?" Xavier asked, his voice edged with concern.
Peter levitated a small listening device into his hand, silencing the Professor. He stared at it for a moment, and his hand glowed ever so slightly, deactivating the device. The blinking light on it went dim. Peter then placed it on the Professor's desk.
"It's powered off, so no one can hear us anymore," he stated.
The Professor sat there, stammering in shock. He hadn't known there was a listening device in his office. Collecting himself, he thanked Peter. "Do you know who put that there?"
Peter shrugged. "No idea. Though if I had to guess, it was most likely someone who'd had access to this room at some point. After all, it would be next to impossible to sneak into a school full of superpowered mutants. Even I'm not sure I could sneak into this place unnoticed."
Instantly, two faces appeared in Xavier's mind: his old friend turned enemy, and his adopted sister, who had betrayed and abandoned him. He frowned, knowing it had to be one of them, or perhaps both.
Deciding to deal with this later, Xavier turned to Peter. "Thank you."
Peter shrugged it off. "Think of it as a sign of goodwill."
The Professor smiled in return, setting the deactivated listening device aside. "So, what did you want to discuss?"
Sitting up straight, Peter asked, "Have you ever heard of Hydra?"
The Professor thought for a moment before replying, "I presume you aren't talking about the mythical creature, but instead the Nazi organization from World War 2?"
Peter nodded. "And how do you feel about them?"
Xavier frowned, unsure where this was going but answered nonetheless. "From what I've heard, they were quite evil and even used countless mutants as test subjects for the most vile experiments. So, I guess you could say I don't like them very much. Why do you ask? I mean, they're extinct, aren't they?" He began to realize something and asked again, "Aren't they?"
Peter leaned back. "Are they?" He asked back, his expression turning serious. "Because I can tell you, Hydra is still very much alive and kicking. I'm sure they still experiment on mutants as well. I mean, why wouldn't they?"
"Why are you telling me this?" Xavier asked.
"Because, they've infiltrated a powerful organization known as Shield." Peter revealed, "And if we leave them be, the consequences would be immeasurable…"
The Professor looked puzzled. "Shield? I'm not familiar with that organization."
Peter nodded, expecting that. "Shield stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. It's a global peacekeeping agency, supposed to be the line of defense against major threats to the world. Unfortunately, Hydra has wormed its way into their ranks."
Xavier's frown deepened. "How could such an infiltration go unnoticed?"
"Blind idiocy." Peter scoffed, "They thought it would be a smart idea to recruit Hydra scientists after the war, and now it's come to bite them in the a*s…"
"I see…" Xavier nodded, his frown deepening. "That does seem quite… idiotic."
"Right?" Peter chuckled, "And usually I'd let morons deal with the repercussions of their mistakes, but Hydra is a very real threat and the Director of Shield is a friend of mine. She's been fighting against them since the war, but Hydra's like a cancer. They hide, adapt, and spread, even under her nose."
"The Director sent you here to ask for my assistance?" the Professor asked after a brief pause. "Was she too busy to come herself?"
"No," Peter replied, shaking his head. "She convinced me to help, so now I'm looking for some back-up. She doesn't know I'm here. Well, she runs a spy agency, so she could know I'm here. Who knows?" He shrugged indifferently.
Xavier listened, puzzled by the amount of leeway this mysterious director was giving Peter, whom he still saw as a child. "And you believe I can help?"
"Absolutely," Peter said. "Having a mind reader on our side would make sniffing out Hydra agents much easier. Hydra has a knack for survival. If you leave a single member alive, they simply go into hiding and rebuild, like roaches. But with you, that would be nearly impossible…"
The Professor nodded slowly, considering the gravity of the situation. "And what exactly would you need from me?"
Peter leaned back in his chair, choosing his words carefully. "As I said, I need you to help identify Hydra agents within Shield. The director wont want to risk your life, as she'll see you as a very valuable asset, so you'll simply be reading some minds. But I'd also like to ask certain members of your school to help as well—"
"Wait," the professor interrupted Peter, his expression stern and unyielding. "I won't allow any of my students to be involved in this. They're children, and I refuse to risk their lives. The only thing they should be—"
Peter interrupted him in return, saying, "I think you misunderstood. Sure, some of your students have unique skills that could be crucial in specific situations, but ultimately, they would be liabilities. As you said, they're children, and we can't afford to have inexperienced kids complicating things. I was referring to your staff—people like that giant metal guy or the woman with white hair."
Relieved by his words, Xavier responded, "You know you're a child too, right?"
Peter shrugged. "Sure, but I've got experience with these sorts of things."
"What kind of experience exactly?" The Professor asked, skepticism clear in his voice.
Peter smiled. "Maybe I'll tell you another time, but for now, let's focus on the matter at hand. Are you willing to help or not?"
Xavier glanced out the window, the reality of the threat Hydra poses sinking in further. "This is a significant request, Peter. The safety of my students is my primary concern."
"Of course," Peter agreed. "I wouldn't ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with. But Hydra is a global threat. No one is safe as long as they exist, especially not your students…"
Professor Xavier leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "I need some time to think over your request and speak to my staff about it. I can't make this decision alone."
Peter nodded understandingly. "Of course. We're not in a rush. After all, Hydra has been infiltrating Shield since World War II. What's another few days or weeks? It's not like they're going anywhere."
The Professor agreed, though his worry was still evident. He rolled his chair around and gestured towards the door. "Let me show you back to your helicopter."
"Actually," Peter interrupted, "I was wondering if I could see the boy that Rogue used her powers on?"
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I have quite a few abilities besides telekinesis," Peter explained, "and I'd be more than willing to see if I can treat him, If that's alright?"
The Professor considered this for a moment. He didn't fully know or trust Peter yet, as they had only just met today, but he decided to have some faith. Nodding, he said, "Alright, follow me to the infirmary."
…
As they maneuvered the halls, Xavier explained, "The infirmary is actually quite packed lately."
Peter raised a curious brow, 'Did Rogue send more than one guy to the infirmary?' He wondered.
As they entered, Peter stopped dead in his tracks, shocked by what he saw. "?!"
There were three unconscious patients in the infirmary. The first he guessed was Pyro, the boy Rogue had used her powers on. The second was Wolverine, a figure that Peter was most certainly awed by. But it was the third patient that shocked him the most—Carol Danvers.
'What the f*ck is she doing here?!'
A/N: 2289 words :)
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