Monster

" Thus, the son of Healfdene was ever troubled with care; nor could the sage hero sweep aside his sorrows. That struggle was too hard, too hateful and lasting, which fell on the people- fierce hostile oppression, greatest of night-woes." Orion read, from his tattered old book. He then closed it and sat up on his bed. " That one never gets old." Orion got up to his feet and went to his washroom to prepare for the day. While in the cafeteria his teammates had already gathered.

" I don't see why you're so upset, Reptil. I was only trying to keep you from oversleeping." Finesse told the boy.

" You didn't knock! What if I'd been... You know. In a compromising position?" Reptil replied as he placed food on his plate.

" What kind of compromising position would you be in?" Hazmat asked the embarrassed boy.

" Okay, Hazmat. Say for the sake of the argument, what if I had a girl in my room?" Reptil explained.

" Unlikely. I read the report on your escape from Norman Osborn's research facility. In it, you indicated you'd never kissed a girl." Finesse revealed one of the boy's secrets with no hesitation or concern.

Reptil silenced and sulked away towards the table where the other boys were sitting.

" Oh no she didn't." Mettle stated.

" Dude, really. It's not like anyone's surprised." Striker spoke.

" I don't understand, Veil. Statistically, it's not unusual for a sixteen-year-old." Finesse told the girl.

" Maybe not. But no sixteen-year-old boy wants anyone to know that." Veil explained to the girl. She then started walking away but not before adding on one more thing. " You humiliated him, Finesse."

Finesse followed her to the table and stood beside Reptil. " I'm sorry, Reptil. I'd like to make it up to." Finesse told the boy.

" You can't just sit down. Put some food in your mouth so I don't have to hear you talk." Reptil asked the girl.

" I'm attractive. I'll kiss you. Right here, where your peer group will see it." Finesse told the boy.

Reptil looked over at Mettle in confusion. " She's kidding right?" Reptil asked.

" Dude, if you don't I will." Mettle replied.

Reptil got up and looked at the girl. " I... I don't even know your real name." Reptil told the girl

" Jeanne. Jeanne Foucault. Can we get on with it?" Jeanne asked. " I'm getting hungry." Jeanne told the boy.

" Um... I guess." Reptil replied. He leaned in as Jeanne closed her eyes as the others watched in anticipation. But before their lips could meet a giant killer robot burst into the room.

" What the hell is that?!" Reptil asked

" Arsenal. A doomsday robot built by Iron Man's dad to keep fighting wars even after total Armageddon." Finesse explained to the others as she threw her battle staves into its face. " Imagine the entire country's military might built into one machine, with the ability to analyze and react to any foe. It nearly killed all the avengers twice."

" Well, it's up against the next-Gen model now." Striker told the girl. He then blasted the machine in the face with an electric blast. " Make yourselves useful. I need a battle cry." Striker told the group.

Arsenal then grabbed the boy and tossed him.

" Guh!" Striker grunted.

" Nice battle cr!" Reptil was cut off as Striker crashed into him.

" Maybe I can blind." Veil was saying.

" Deploy vacuum." The Arsenal spoke as it began pulling veil into its body.

" Oh! It's sucking me in. Help!" Veil yelled as she was pulled closer to the machine.

" Okay, It's cool I'll" Mettle was saying to the girl as he raised his fist.

Arsenal turned towards the boy and blasted him with its chest beam only stunning the boy.

Veil landed and hit the floor hard. " Mhmm." Veil groaned as she rubbed her head.

" Veil! Look out!" Reptil yelled to the girl as he was tossed by the Arsenal. The giant robot turned and punched towards the young.

Veil's eyes widened and she froze as the giant fist approached.

The others watched as the robot seemingly hit the girl

" No!" Reptil yelled.

[ Fairy tail released power]

The dust cleared.

Veil looked up and saw that Orion held her under his left arm and held Arsenal's fist with his other hand.

" Looks like you guys found a good fight. Mind if I cut in?" Orion asked. He was still half naked and soaken wet from the water in his shower. The only piece of clothing he had on were the skin tight spandex underwear.

Veil looked down at the arm that was holding her by the waist and noticed a tattered old book in his hands.

" Redirecting directive." The Arsenal spoke. It tried pushing back against Orion but failed as the boy didn't move an inch.

Orion tossed veil and his book to the side and grabbed the machine's arm and with one loud yell ripped it clean off its body.

Arsenal stumbled back allowing Finesse to get in close and jam open the chest cavity on the machine. " There! I've jammed open the chest cavity. Hazmat, give me a full spectrum burst inside the thing now!" Finesse ordered.

" What if it takes my hand off?" Hazmat asked in concern.

" Hurry!" Finesse yelled to the girl.

Hazmat sucked up her courage and ran towards the machine. " I hate this place. I hate it." Hazmat chanted as she stuck her hand inside the machine's chest. She released her energy and yelled one more time. " I HATE IT!" She yelled as the robot exploded.

Orion covered the two girls as the fire cleared out and once it was over, he stood back up. " Are you two alright?" Orion asked the girls.

" Whoa! Hey handsome." Hazmat flirted with the boy as she got to her feet.

" Just fine." Finesse replied with a hint of red on her face.

Orion nodded and walked over to Veil. " Are you okay?" Orion asked the girl.

" Yeah, just hit my head a little harder than I'd like." Veil replied. " Uhm. I think this is yours." Veil said to the boy as she held up his book for him.

Orion smiled slightly and took the book from the girl. " Thank you." Orion told the girl. He then reached down and helped Veil to her feet.

" Thank you, Orion." Veil said to the boy.

" No problems." Orion replied.

" Uhm, so I noticed your book is pretty worn out. Do you like reading?" Veil asked.

Orion's eyes floated between the girl and his book. " Yeah, I do. It helps me... Calm myself." Orion explained to the girl.

" That's awesome. I know how you feel, I love reading too. What book is it?" Veil asked.

" It's the original poem Beowulf." Orion told the girl.

" You mean by Shakespear?" Veil asked.

" No. The original author. The books written in old English also known as Anglo-Saxon. One of the many books Strange's predecessors had in their library." Orion explained to the girl.

" So this..." Veil asked as she looked closer at the book.

" Is the first version of the epic poem that was ever written." Orion explained.

" That is so cool!" Veil stated.

Orion smiled slightly and nodded.

At this point the teachers had finally come running into the room. " Are you okay?" Hank asked the kids.

" Of course." Finesse replied. " We were never in any real danger. Arsenal was programmed to use nonlethal force." Finesse explained. " According to the avenger's files, Arsenal's chest cannon has knocked out wonder man, but not Mettle. None of us were truly injured." Finesse continued. " This was a test, wasn't it?" Finesse asked.

" Well, um... if by test you mean..." Hank was saying.

" It was. But not one we all approved of. In fact, most of us strongly disapprove." Tigra finished for Hank.

" Oh, please. How are they to learn if they only face situations where they know they can't get hurt?" Pietro asked as he was the one who sent the Arsenal after the kids. " When I was a boy, Magneto would hire assassins to attack Wanda and me in our sleep." Pietro explained.

" Magneto is a terrorist. We're Avengers... Their teachers. How could you guarantee they wouldn't be hurt?" Tigra asked the man angrily. " And since when are you an A.I. wizard?" Tigra asked as well.

" I'm not." Pietro responded. " I had Jocasta rebuild and reprogram Arsenal." Pietro explained as Jocasta joined the rest of the staff.

" Yes... Though I believed the matter was approved by all instructors, or I would not have complied. My apologies." Jocasta apologized.

" It's not your fault, Jocasta. Although... If we talked more, this sort of thing might be avoided." Hank explained to the woman.

" I am always available for professional discussions, Dr. Pym." Jocasta said to the man. " However, until you accept that our romantic relationship is over, I think it's best we maintain a respectful distance." Jocasta told the man.

" Oh, Snap!" Striker chuckled.

Hank watched as the woman walked away from him.

" If you liked it, you should've put a ring on it." Tigra told the man.

" Can we keep my wreck of a private life private please?" Hank asked the woman.

" Hey, be glad you have one. Single mom who sheds is not a profile that gets you a lot of hits on match.com" Tigra joked.

" I apologize for this. It should never have happened... Right Pietro?" Hank asked.

" Fine. I am evil and misguided but you have shown me the light." Pietro replied sarcastically.

" Having said that, you did well. Displayed Bravery and Teamwork." Hank praised the students. " If you think this sort of impromptu exercise is valuable, we could have others." Hank asked the students.

" Pass, we don't like being attacked in the middle of breakfast." Reptil responded.

" Or treated like idiots who need to be tricked into learning things." Hazmat spoke up

" Or Y'Know... Lied to." Veil added on.

The teachers all looked between themselves, and Quicksilver simply nodded his head. " Uh, point taken." Hank spoke. " Use the rest of the morning as a free period. You've earned it." Hank told the students before walking away.

Orion nodded and retreated to his room where he used the rest of the morning to read.

' I know you're still feeling it. The rush of tearing that creature's arm off. Why stop? Why not destroy it all?' Cyttorak asked the boy.

" Because. I'm not like you." Orion replied as he clutched his head. " I'm nobody's slave. I don't bite when you say bite."

' You have no idea how wrong you are boy. We're so much more alike than you could even imagine.' Cyttorak explained.

" You're just another figment of my imagination. Nothing more." Orion replied.

' HAHAHAHA! FOOLISH BOY! I know you know more than that. After all you spent years with Strange. I'm certain you know what I am. And more importantly... Who! I am.' Cyttorak said to the boy.

" No. I don't." Orion growled. He got up from his bed and looked in his mirror to see it change to an image of Cyttorak himself.

' Yes you do. Now, say it.' Cyttorak commanded.

" No." Orion replied.

' Yes. Who am I?' Cyttorak asked with a smile on his face. ' Say it!'

" NO." Orion replied.

' Say it... Son.'

" NOOOOOO!" Orion punched the mirror and shattered it instantly.

" Uhm, Orion? Are you okay?" Veil asked as she opened the boy's room door.

Orion snapped towards the girl; his face as red as his hair and his eyes glowing.

Veil flinched when she saw the boy.

Orion seeing the girl's expression, slowly started taking deep breaths until he returned to normal. " I'm... I'm sorry you had to see that." Orion told the girl.

" Are you okay?" Veil asked in concern.

" I'm fine. I just need a moment." Orion replied as he rubbed his face.

Veil approached the boy and patted his shoulder. " Maybe you should stay here instead of coming to training. I'll tell Mr. Pym you weren't feeling good." Veil told the boy.

" No." Orion replied as he grabbed the girl's hand. " No. I'm fine. I just need a few minutes to calm myself." Orion told the girl.

" Are you sure?" Veil asked.

" Yes... But thank you Veil. I appreciate your concern." Orion told the girl.

Veil hesitated but nodded and withdrew her hand nevertheless.

" Come on, let's go." Orion told the girl.

Veil nodded and the two joined their teammates for the afternoon training session.

" I don't even understand why we're even still here, after what we found out. This morning was just the mayonnaise on the crap sandwich." Hazmat explained. " All they do is lie to us. They told us we're here to be trained because we're the best young superhumans in the world. When in truth we're the most screwed up. The ones they're most afraid of." Hazmat explained.

" Shhh!" Veil told Hazmat.

" Relax, Junior woodchuck. I'm giving off E.M. Energy that'll interfere with monitoring devices." Hazmat explained. " And what do you care if they hear us anyways? Screw them. I say we walk." Hazmat stated.

" And go where?" Orion asked.

" Yeah? You gonna go back to your stuffed animals and twilight posters?" Striker asked the girl. " Wise up, you're radioactive. Your own Parents'll bury you under a gravel pit." Striker told the girl.

" They'd never." Hazmat replied.

" I know this is supposed to be some new heroic age with the original captain America making everything all Norman Rockwell and apple pie again. But read between the lines. That means there's no place for rejects like us. We gotta play along with their program to rehabilitate us or they'll lock us up with Norman Osborn. The guy who messed us up in the first place. The guy they're afraid we'll end up like." Striker explained.

" They wouldn't do that. They're heroes." Reptil argued.

" Yeah, and they're deciding whether or not we're villains." Striker replied.

Reptil continued arguing with Striker and didn't notice the Ultron about to attack him from behind. Thankfully, Orion grabbed the virtual enemy and tossed him. " Pay attention." Orion told the boy.

" Look, whether Striker's right or not, I don't see what other choice we have." Mettle explained to Reptil. " Hazmat, you and I need these guys to figure out how to change us back to normal." Mettle told the girl.

" Shutting down. Solid-light constructs disabled." The training room stated.

Hazmat and reptil both turned to Finesse. " You've always got the answers, Finesse. What do you think?" Hazmat asked the girl.

" I think... I think knowledge is power. I think we should learn whatever they can teach us. Then we can make our own decisions." Finesse explained to the group. " And no one will be able to stand in our way."

Orion looked at the girl and nodded.

" What do you think, man? You haven't said a word all this time." Mettle asked the boy.

" I think... I think maybe... I'd like to think that maybe we decide who we are. Or at least I hope." Orion replied before walking away.

After hitting the showers, Orion once again returned to his room for the night. And as he prepared for bed; he heard a knock on his door. When he opened the door he saw Veil standing in the door way.

" Hey." Veil spoke as she brushed her hair to the side.

" Hey." Orion replied as he opened the door further. " Did you need something?" Orion asked.

" I uhm, wanted to thank you again for this morning. You stepped in and saved me and for that I'm grateful." Veil told the boy.

" Oh. No problem, veil. I mean you were defenseless. I couldn't let you get hurt." Orion told the girl.

" Thank you." Veil replied.

" Is there anything else you needed to speak about?" Orion asked the girl.

Veil looked at the man nervously and twiddled with her fingers. " Uhm, actually. I just wanted to say... You aren't... You aren't a monster. I know you're angry and you struggle with it. But that doesn't make you a monster. I know you'll be an amazing hero." Veil told the boy.

Orion smiled slightly. " Thank you, Veil." Orion told the girl.

" Uhm, actually. When we're alone you can just call my Maddy." Veil told the boy.

Orion nodded. " Thank you... Maddy." Orion told the girl.

" All right then. Uhm good night, Orion." Maddy told the boy

" Good night, Maddy." Orion replied.

Maddy smiled and then started walking back to her room for the night.

As Orion closed the door, the joy he felt quickly burned away.

' Heheheheh! ' Cyttorak laughed.

Orion snapped back.

' Don't let the words of a pathetic weak woman fill your mind boy. You are every bit a monster as I am.' Cyttorak explained to the boy. ' The only difference is I'm proud of it. And you... You just run and hide from it. But you'll learn. You just need a little push.' Cyttorak sneered.

" That's where you're wrong. I know I'm a monster. But I'm not you're monster. I'm no one's monster." Orion told the man before pushing dismissing him once again. " Hygelac's thane, a valiant man among the geats, heard of that at home, of deeds of Grendel. He was the greatest in might among men at that time, noble and powerful. He bade a good ship to be built for him; He said that he was set on seeking the warlike king, the famous prince over the Swan-road, since he had need of men. No whit did wise men blame him for the venture, though he was dear to them; They urged on the staunch-minded man, they watched the omens. The valiant man had chosen warriors of the men of the Geats, the boldest he could find; With fourteen others he sought the ship. A man cunning in knowledge of the sea led them to the shore."