om_main | Steve J and Scott

Steve talks to Scott about joining that team with the odd name.

There had definitely been days Steve hadn't been sure he was going to make it. After everything with his sister and then his mom, not to mention the whole mutant thing. The last few years of his life had been chaos. But slowly things focused and, though he still wasn't sure entirely when, he'd gotten control of his life again. He'd even changed the direction his life was going to go. The ATF was still there in the back of his mind, but with everything he'd seen lately, he had another direction to look in.

But first, he had to talk to Scott.

He caught Scott at the end of...he still wasn't entirely sure what Scott called his team. At the end of that training. He waited until everyone who needed to talk to Scott got their chance and then made his way over. This was what he wanted. To help people. And while his own team went out sometimes, it was Scott's team that was at the forefront of it all.

"Got a minute?"

Cyclops pulled the hood off his head - he really needed to do something for Kitty, to thank her for the uniforms - and wiped some of the sweat from his head. "Sure. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk about switching teams," Steve said. "I know it's usually 18 and not related to the school, but I wanted to wait for graduation." He never had been quite comfortable with current students going out and running missions, even though he understood there weren't as many adult mutants who could go.

"You're 18, then," Scott said. He knew Steve was, but he felt uncomfortable admitting that he'd gone through student files so deeply. "Why us?"

"I don't think I ever told you, but I wanted to be ATF. My sister." He knew that most people had found out about Olivia because of how things had happened with Claudia. "Really what I wanted to do is make sure no one else was hurt like she was. Idealistic, maybe, but I at least wanted to do what I could. What you guys are doing, there I could."

Cyclops crossed his arms over his chest as he mulled that over. Not just the request - Steve was on JVX, so Scott had some idea of his field readiness - but also the rationale behind it. "You do realize the significant differences between us and, say, the ATF. I'm not suggesting that you can't join the senior team, you've been a good member of JVX, but I want to make sure you know what you're getting into."

Steve's eyebrows arched up. It wasn't exactly the question. It would have been valid if, say, he'd only been on JVX for a month or two. "No, I know what I'm getting into," he promised. "Besides, ultimately both do the same thing: protect people." That's what he wanted to do with his life, he had no doubt about that. It was only the where that had been up for some debate.

"I more meant that what we're doing...it's not exactly always on the side of the law." And it was possible, however unlikely given Steve's experience with JVX, that that would bother him more when it was likely to come up in practice. "That was my larger concern. I absolutely agree that we help people, but I think the law sees what we do and what the government does a bit differently."

"I'll do what's right over what technically is or isn't legal any day," Steve said, no hesitation at all in his voice. As much as he thought rules should be followed, he'd seen plenty of ways the legal system had screwed over him and his mother. Or at least just him.

Cyclops gave him another appraising look. "Alright. Come to practice with us tomorrow morning." He reached out to shake Steve's hand.

"I will," Steve said, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. He relaxed a little. He hadn't been really concerned Scott would say no, but it was always a possibility. "Thanks."

Cyclops smirked, just a little, "I'd probably hold off on thanks until you practice with us."

"Don't worry," Steve said cheerfully. "I can go quickly from thanking you to cursing you."

"Oh, good," Scott said dryly. "Alright. I need to go shower off. See you tomorrow, Jinks."