The members of the Vanguard stood in the middle of the X-Men's Danger Room, shifting uncomfortably. The wide, sterile chamber was quiet, and confusion flickered on their faces.
"Why are we even here?" Cassie muttered under her breath, crossing her arms.
Before anyone could answer, the metal doors slid open with a hiss. Cyclops stepped in, his posture as crisp as ever, his expression unreadable behind his red-tinted visor.
"Hello, Vanguard," he said, voice clipped but not unkind. "You're probably wondering why I called you here."
Adrian tilted his head. "Yeah, is there like… a mission or something? I mean, if it's combat, I probably shouldn't go. Still kind of injured." He rubbed his arm gingerly, the healing bruises still fresh.
Cyclops shook his head. "No, nothing like that. In fact, I have good news."
That got everyone's attention. Eyes widened. Postures straightened. Even Elio perked up from where he sat on the bench, his expression curious.
Cyclops continued. "I'd like to congratulate all of you. You've come a long way in your training, and even though it's only been a couple of weeks, every one of you has grown immensely. On behalf of all the X-Men, I'm here to tell you... congratulations. You've officially graduated from the Xavier School for Gifted Children."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"Wait—what?" Cassie asked, blinking. "Already? Are you sure? It feels like… we're not ready."
"If I get to graduate from a school, I'm happy," Bobby grinned. "Never thought I'd say that."
Peter raised a hand excitedly. "Is this, like, an actual diploma? Because this would look amazing on a resume. My aunt and uncle are gonna freak."
"I finished school? Miss Sage, I did it!" Elio beamed, tugging at her sleeve. Sage gave him a soft, proud smile and nodded.
Adrian stood frozen for a second. Something stirred in his chest—something he hadn't felt in a long time. Accomplishment. Pride. Joy. A real, pure sense of having achieved something.
"HELL YEAH, WE DID IT!" Adrian whooped suddenly.
The others laughed, sharing in his excitement. The whole room lit up with grins and laughter.
Cyclops couldn't help but let a rare smile show. "Hah. Looks like you're all excited. Good. Now… for your graduation gift."
The doors opened again, and Beast walked in carrying several large boxes with ease, followed closely by Professor Xavier and several other X-Men members. The Professor watched with gentle pride as Beast stopped and set the boxes down with a soft thud.
"Are these the gifts?" Cyclops asked, glancing at Hank for confirmation.
"Indeed," Beast said, adjusting his glasses. "Special suits for all of you, designed to enhance protection, flexibility, and field performance. I didn't have time to make them as perfect as I wanted, but I hope you'll find them worthy of your potential."
Everyone stared at the boxes, eyes wide with anticipation.
Adrian stepped forward. "Are you serious right now? We're getting hero suits?"
Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Wait, is this some kind of weird combat test in disguise?"
"No tricks," Cyclops assured. "You've earned this."
Bobby was already opening a box. "Let's see what the mutant version of swag looks like."
All of them are excited to see the team new outfit