Kakashi was supervising the mutant kids training as he watched them try to use their abilities.
The thought of becoming real heroes who could help people openly made their eyes shine with hope. They missed their professor Charles very much. Yet the idea of not having to hide in a mansion and instead walking freely in this world gave them strength to move forward. They laughed and encouraged each other during training.
The adults though were a different case than the children. They carried heavier hearts and more painful memories. They were not used to the new reality and the changes it brought to them. Many still woke up with nightmares about their destroyed world and the friends they had lost.
Kakashi was approached by Hank. The blue furry scientist walked over with a thoughtful expression on his face. He had been watching the children train from a distance.
"How are you all settling up?" Kakashi asked.
"Your world is nice. With no mutant propaganda going on, no government agency gunning for us. I have seen videos of people calling Hulk a hero despite the damage he had caused previously. Sometimes it makes me wonder why our world was not like that. Maybe then we could have been so much more," Hank said.
He looked at the laughing children with a mix of sadness and hope. In their old world, mutants were feared and hunted. Here, people accepted heroes with powers even when they made mistakes.
Hank felt both grateful and heartbroken thinking about all the lost potential. Tears almost formed in his eyes as he remembered the friends who had fought so hard for acceptance but never received it. "We could have built schools openly. We could have lived without fear. Instead, we lost everything. But seeing these kids smile again gives me strength. I just wish the mutants that we left behind could see this too."
"And as for coming to this new reality and settling up, it feels strange you know. It is as if we do not belong to this world with you Avengers already being there trying to protect it. Truth be told we or especially I feel lost but I must go on for the kids that we have brought in. For their future," Hank said. He sighed heavily and rubbed his furry arm. The weight of leadership without Charles felt heavy on his shoulders.
He had to be strong for the children even when his own heart felt empty. The new world offered safety but also brought questions about their purpose and identity. Hank wondered if they would always be outsiders or if they could truly become part of this team.
"Trust me, I can understand what you are going through," Kakashi muttered. He inwardly thought, 'I felt the same when I first arrived. I had to go on for my students and friends back in Konoha. They would be disappointed if I just gave up like that. Maybe not giving up is not only Naruto's ninja way but maybe mine too.'
Hank said excitedly, "But there are so many interesting things about your world. To think that your Earth has made contact with aliens. And who would have thought that the Norse gods were real and were just aliens. It made me wonder about the other gods from other mythologies." His scientific mind was clearly fascinated by these discoveries.
"They too are real from what I know. There is a world where most of the gods live. In fact, my own powers somehow correlate with the Japanese Shinto gods," Kakashi said.
Logan who just came muttered, "You have powers related to gods?" He crossed his arms and looked at Kakashi with curiosity. The gruff mutant had been listening quietly from the side.
Kakashi looked at Logan who had just walked up to them. "Kind of," Kakashi simply said. He did not go into deep details but gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
"So have you decided which one of us would be the first public reveal of the Avengers?" Logan asked.
"Yes, it would be you," Kakashi answered. "You are the one most trained and well, you look more human. We need to make people see mutants as humans and to start with someone like you would be good. Besides with your training and skills, you would be easily able to fit with other Avengers, be able to coordinate with them and fight with them. Your experience in battles will help the team greatly."
"And after that we might give Bobby a shot. His abilities would come in handy and without turning into his Iceman form, he looks normal," Kakashi continued. He thought about the young mutants and how to introduce them gradually to avoid panic.
"Scott is not going to like this. He is itching to go back into action after what happened with Jean," Hank said with a worried tone. He knew Cyclops was struggling with anger and grief after losing Jean in the other reality.
"And that's why he cannot be in the team. He has got issues since after what happened with Jean. When he is mentally ready, he would be able to join the Avengers officially and get back to action but until then he is well... grounded," Kakashi said firmly.
He believed in giving people time to heal before putting them in dangerous situations. Rushing Scott back into fights could cause more harm than good for everyone.
He then looked at one of his clones who created multiple mud walls to protect the tower's room.
Scott's optic blast shot out powerfully, destroying parts of the practice area. The mud walls were not strong enough to survive the full force of the optic blast of Cyclops but they were enough to slow it down a little for Kakashi to teleport the beam to his Kamui dimension.
Scott stood breathing heavily with regret on his face after the accidental outburst. The children nearby looked surprised but safe thanks to the quick actions.
"Like I said he is too emotionally unstable to be brought out on the field," the real Kakashi said pointing at the scene.
-----Author Notes---------
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