Cyclops: Fear No Gods

Recruiting the Beast and Iceman

Chapter XLIII - Robert "Bobby" Drake

Sitting quietly, Scott waited patiently for Charles to watch the video recording of their recent training sessions within the Danger Room. He would admit to having been surprised that the only thing Charles had to say about his use of the Danger Room was a report, not a berating. Though the frown and look in Charles' eyes said that while he did not like Scott using the Danger Room without permission, he was going to overlook it. A strange thing, but one that Scott would not question lest he changed his mind.

At the end of the day, Scott intended to get a headstart on his team's progression.

In the past, they had been amateurs, no one understanding of what they needed to do to become a complete team or progress. This time, however, Scott knew exactly what needed to be done and he intended to take full advantage of that fact. The world was a dangerous place already and with the recent actions of Norman Osborn and Sinister, Scott knew that it was about to become even more dangerous.

In order to make sure that he could succeed in this world, Scott needed the X-Men to be better than they were before. Not just a small amount, Scott needed them to outclass the version of them that existed in Cyclops' world. That was the only way Scott was going to succeed, the only way he knew Mutantkind would be able to survive.

Training right now had only just begun, but it all had to start somewhere.

"Your opinions?" Charles' short question was another reminder that he did not like Scott's unauthorised and unsupervised use of the Danger Room.

Not that he cared.

"It's a start." That was the best way to put it. "Hank has the best condition of the two of them, he's stronger, faster, more agile and so on. There's not much I can add to change that besides basic exercises that it seems his football coach was already making him do. Though I am pushing Hank to do so more intensively than he did before, there's little else to do. However, his grasping of spatial awareness is quite well, but it's more instinctive, a result of his powers, than actual experience."

"You see that as the main way for him to improve?" Charles wondered.

Scott shook his head. "It is important for his growth and the overall development of the team's cohesion. But he will need actual martial arts training, I have him working on acrobatic-based martial arts that allow him to take full advantage of his bestial-like powers and instincts such as Wushu, Capoeira and Taekwondo, Wolverine is helping in that regard." Though Henry of the past had also developed some skill in grappling, having been the physically strongest of the team and used to restrain opponents, it was hardly suitable later in his life.

Ultimately, Hank was not a powerhouse and grappling became a game of the strong, something he had not been. Instead, Hank had focused much more on striking, using his natural athleticism and animal instincts to become a truly unpredictable fighter. When aided with his minor superhuman powers, it certainly made him a very dangerous foe, though due to his earlier misguided path, had limited him in later life when his time had been taken up more with scientific endeavours.

Right now, with far more time on their hands and much more freedom, when Hank could focus more time on his training, there was no telling how much more skilled he could become. Especially with Wolverine there to guide them, Scott knowing full well that he was one of the greatest fighters in the world and that with his guidance, they would be able to become much better.

"However, Hank's biggest limit right now is his mentality." Despite all that though, it would mean nothing if he could not overcome the mental block he had formed. "What he did to Conquistador has scarred him and he is afraid of his own strength. So long as that remains the case, it does not matter how hard he trains or how experienced he becomes, he will reach his limits very soon and become a burden to the rest of the team."

It was harsh and Charles frowned at the description, but he knew that it was not wrong either. "If he cannot overcome that mental block?"

"Then it would be best he not become a member of the X-Men."

"What of Warren?" Charles wondered, changing the subject.

"He is far more experienced than Hank, his spatial awareness is also quite high. Due to the nature of his powers, he needs to be aware of what goes on around him lest he hurt himself and so, he is taking to the training much easier than Hank. Not only that, he does not have a mental block that is limiting him either." Scott explained simply. "But he lacks physical conditioning and proper discipline. He does not take orders well and has a penchant for thinking he knows best."

Though, Scott knew to handle someone like Warren so it was not proving a major problem like it had in the past. Warren was competitive and prideful, Scott knew that he had damaged that pride back in New York, Warren was now determined to soothe that wound and become stronger until he surpassed Scott. He was also driven by fear of what happened to him at the hands of Vulture, determined to make sure something like that never happened again.

However, using the former rather than the latter, Scott was able to set bars that Warren worked to overcome.

It was working like a charm.

"Currently, I have him learning Krav Maga and Kali." Scott said.

Considering Warren's powers and the way in which he would be most effectively used, traditional martial arts would not be suitable for him. Unlike Hank who could well and truly be in the thick of the action and be very effective there, Warren would not be suited towards that. For that reason, Scott had Warren learn the Philippine and Israeli military martial arts that would be most suited for him.

His role was to be the eyes in the sky, yet also to be a guerilla fighter, employing a series of hit-and-run tactics against opponents to stall them for time but also weaken them. That was why Scott believed those two martial arts to be the most suited for Warren, Krav Maga emphasised rapid strikes on the opponent's body to maim if not kill them, aiming to eliminate an opponent as quickly as possible. Kali was different, yet similar, it also focused on rapid strike but differed in that its aim was not to kill an opponent, simply destroying their ability to cause further harm by targeting the limbs of the body.

If Warren was to learn these styles, it would make his ability as a guerilla fighter that much more effective, able to cripple opponents for another X-Man to finish the job.

Charles hummed in thought. "You're covering their bases well, but what do you think the makeup of the team would be? What roles would they fill?"

Scott's response was immediate. "Warren will be our aerial support and scout. Hank will be our frontline fighter. I will be the sniper and long-ranged support, covering Hank until he gets close. If need be though, Warren can come in to support Hank or I can. But for now, until we get more members, that would be the most ideal way in which to position our members."

"...And do you think they're ready?"

Scott rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

"For a mission. Are they ready?"

Did he think Hank or Warren were ready?

Scott could confidently say no that they were not and that was purely based on the recent incidents and conflicts with unforeseen variables. If he had not encountered them, Scott would have been happy to say that yes, they were ready for a mission because ultimately, Conquistador was the level of villains they should be facing at the moment. However, the presence of the Sabretooth and others proved that this was not the same and that factions beneath the surface were already beginning to make their move.

Right now, neither Hank nor Warren was ready for that level of combat.

"What mission?"

Charles then pulled out his phone, having already saved the news article and presented it to Scott who didn't so much as blink. 'Did he have an idea of this already?' Charles wondered to himself, once again beginning to wonder how far ahead the young man across from him was thinking and whether or not Logan was right, had he made a mistake?

One thing that had become very clear to him recently was that despite what he thought, Scott and he were not completely aligned. They shared a similar goal, but Scott was significantly more jaded in his view of the world, much more cynical and pessimistic in how he predicted the politics of the world to unfold. He could not deny that Scott's ideas were not entirely wrong and certainly had a measure of truth to them, yet Charles feared that Scott was too set in his belief of what humanity might do and become that by acting according to that, Scott would be the very cause for humanity to become what he feared.

His actions in New York were understandable and Charles would not deny that saving Warren in the way he had was the correct choice. Nor was him defending himself and coming to the aid of Hank in Dunfee wrong either.

However, by acting in the way he had, showcasing the power and skills that he had made him and Mutants as a whole a threat. Up until that point, Mutants were feared more as a boogeyman with very little in the way of concrete proof of what Mutants could do if backed into a corner. As a result, while there were a lot of rumours and conspiracy theories, the large majority of the human population just dismissed them out of hand.

Now though, after what Scott showcased in the past few days, all clearly captured with plenty of witnesses, now those rumours and conspiracy theories had hard evidence to back them up.

Now, they were no longer being dismissed.

Now they were starting to get a lot of people to subscribe and believe what was being said.

Charles hesitated to put all the blame on Scott's shoulders, but his actions had consequences. 'Perhaps Logan is right.' He thought to himself, knowing that he held some blame for not being able to stop Scott's actions, yet Charles was unsure whether he'd have been able to stop him at all. 'Perhaps I have bitten off more than I can chew.'

"I believe it can be done." Scott eventually answered.

Yet Charles was unsure whether he wanted Scott and the X-Men to even go on this mission now.

After all, the more Scott went out into the world, the more changes he would make. The more people who joined the X-Men, the stronger they became, the bigger Scott's impact would be. Alone, Scott had reshaped the board and made things more difficult than before. With a team at his back, Charles couldn't even begin to imagine what he would achieve and that scared him.

No.

It terrified him.

So, another chapter is done and I hope you all enjoyed it. Anyway, if you have any questions or suggestions, please, let me know.