So many people were eager for class, it was rather interesting, Raven thought. Never had she seen to many young minds ready to get beaten the tar out of in her Combat Training class. It was an optional class, normally taken by those who wanted to make a difference by becoming X-Men. She also had a basic training class as well, just for those that wanted a little more protection in a world that still wasn't completely accepting of mutants. But right now, it was Combat Training. Time for the heroes-to-be to show her what they had been working on since the day before. 

Heidi, Shawn, Samuel, Tatiana, and Chrys all regular stars of her class. They all performed well, but she wanted to start implementing some changes before the new year. She only had a little more than a month until 'Holiday' Break, and she wanted them to be ready for what she was going to throw at them in the second semester.

Shawn had just arrived in the Danger Room, cutting it a little closer than normal, but he was just as ready as everyone else was. 

Of course, she couldn't forget Zack and Griffin, Jean-Paul's nephew. He was going to be joining the class as well. A telepathic note from Charles also alerted her of another one, Nate, on his way. They school was easy to start whenever, so it wasn't that big of a deal that Nate and Yeti were starting up most of their things only now. 

She waited patiently for them all to arrive before she started to speak. Though she was not in her Official X-Men uniform, she was dressed for light hand-to-hand combat. She hardly aged after all of these years, and she was just as fit as she was back in the seventies. 

"Alright, everyone. Before we get started today, I'm going to take this time to remind you all that just because December is getting closer, it is absolutely no excuse to start rushing things so that you'll have as much free time as possible. If you're in any clubs, affiliated with any Staff-Teams, then your break is already looking a little packed, sorry." She didn't sound all that sorry. She paced across the danger room floor, looking at the teens before her. She couldn't exactly introduce Zack and Griffin. That was their own case to talk as freely or as little about as they wanted, and truth be told, she didn't know what much about the incoming Nate. "We do have some new arrivals in the class, though. A little introduction from them and what they can do, then we'll get cracking."

[hr]

Charles smiled. It was understandable that a mind could wander. He surely knew that after all of this time. He rolled out on his wheelchair past his desk and over to the door. "Well, Nate. Your training will be overseen by Miss Darkholme. Mystique, if you know her better by that alias. You'll be sparring with your classmates, fighting robotic opposition, and Miss Darkholme and our resident mechanic Forge will make sure that everything coming your way is designed to help you in areas where you may fall a little flat, as well as sharpen the skills that you use the best." 

He did his best to explain everything as the two traveled through the halls and through an elevator in the far back of the school. Only those with clearance were allowed downstairs at all, but even then you'd need additional clearance to access any of the rooms. Students usually only needed the danger room, but many of the teachers also slept down stairs. Not to mention the hangar, the war room, and various other rooms that only official X-men were allowed to enter. With forge helping, it was rather easy to install biometric scanners, of whatever he called them, so that the door need only look at you and judge if you are supposed to be there or not.

"As for my powers." The elevator door closed, leaving Charles and Nate in the pristine white box. "It's taken decades of training to hear only my own voice. Like any mutation, the only thing keeping you from progressing is the belief that your own body is beyond your control. You need only have willpower and patience to accomplish anything, Nate."