It had been a full week since Castiel Winchester first arrived at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and the time had finally come: his first session in the infamous Danger Room. He stood in the hallway just outside the chamber, staring at the large metallic doors that looked more like the entrance to a spaceship than a training facility. The word "DANGER" stenciled in bold black paint didn't exactly ease the nerves.
Beside him, a tall, lean man in a red and black uniform with a glowing ruby visor stood with his arms folded—Mr. Summers, better known as Cyclops. He couldn't have been more than twenty-four, which surprised Castiel. Most of the people in the school, even the teachers, weren't much older than him. Except for Storm, Logan, and Charles, everyone else felt like... peers. Strange peers, maybe, but still peers.
Cyclops looked over the squad he was assigned to lead that day, his face unreadable behind the crimson glass.
"All right, team. Today we're going light—Level One simulation. First session for our newest member here, Castiel," he said with a nod toward the angelic boy, who simply nodded back.
Kitty Pryde, a confident, quick-witted girl with a ponytail and a warm smile, visibly relaxed. "Finally, something easy."
Jubilee, dressed in bright colors with yellow shades propped on her head, grinned. "I was not in the mood for being chased by sentinel drones today."
Then there was the last of the team—Magik, real name Illyana Rasputin, sister to Colossus. She was a stark contrast to the rest. Lean, intense, and always standing like she was ready for war. She had long pale-blonde hair and cold blue eyes that never blinked when they looked at you. There was something... wrong about her. Her soul felt dark. Castiel had never met someone whose presence made his powers stir like this—like they were trying to push back.
"Tch," Illyana scoffed. "Why do we all have to baby this kid? Should've let him do a solo mission if he's so 'special.'"
Castiel's eyes narrowed slightly, though his voice stayed calm. "Strange, coming from someone who looks like she hasn't even hit five feet."
That did it.
Illyana summoned her Soul Sword in a flash of burning light, the weapon glowing with crackling, demonic energy. The moment it appeared, Castiel's halo flared into being above his head, and the air between them shimmered with unseen tension.
"Oh, you want to dance, Halo Boy?" she growled.
"I'd rather not burn the school down," Castiel said, smiling slightly, even though his holy energy had already begun to rise in response to her corrupted blade.
"ENOUGH!" Cyclops snapped, stepping between them with military force. His hand hovered near the side of his visor. "Illyana, put that sword away. Castiel, suppress your powers."
Both obeyed, though Illyana did it with a frustrated sneer, and Castiel with a subtle look of restraint. The halo above his head faded, and the holy pressure in the room disappeared as quickly as it came.
Cyclops turned to Illyana. "You're going on Level One, or you're off the roster for the next ten sessions. You're not the only one training here."
Illyana glared, but her mouth stayed shut. She sheathed her Soul Sword in a swirl of dark energy and stepped back, arms crossed.
"Let's move out," Cyclops ordered, and the doors to the Danger Room finally opened with a loud hiss.
The team stepped inside.
The chamber was huge, easily the size of a football field, with walls made of reinforced steel. As soon as the door closed behind them, the room shimmered—and the metallic walls transformed into a dense forest, thick with vines, mist, and shadows.
Castiel blinked in surprise. "This is... an illusion?"
Cyclops' voice came through an overhead speaker. "Hard-light holograms. Think of it like a real-world video game. This one's designed to simulate a search-and-rescue op. You're retrieving a lost teammate and avoiding enemy drones. Work together. You've got fifteen minutes. Begin."
Before anyone could respond, the forest came alive with strange animal screeches and flashes of red light in the trees.
Jubilee pointed. "I think the drones are that way!"
Kitty sank through the ground and popped up ten feet ahead. "Come on, slowpokes!"
Magik growled under her breath but followed.
Castiel moved with the group, instinctively forming a blade of holy energy over the broken hilt of Saint Michael's sword. He kept it low, not glowing, but ready. He could feel the simulation trying to trick his senses—and the subtle pull of something darker. It was still just tech, but it felt like more.
Drones burst from the tree line, spraying energy blasts. The team sprang into action—Jubilee shooting fireworks from her hands to distract them, Kitty phasing through trees and yanking drones apart from inside their circuits.
Magik cleaved one drone in half with her Soul Sword and gave Castiel a look like, Try to keep up.
Castiel replied by raising his hand and unleashing a beam of white light that exploded a tree—and three drones hiding behind it.
The team turned. Even Magik looked impressed, if only for a second.
"Remind me never to get on his bad side," Jubilee muttered.
When the mission ended—successfully—they stood in the empty room once more as the forest flickered away. Castiel's heart was racing, but not from fear. It felt... good. Being part of a team. Fighting not out of rage or pain, but discipline.
Cyclops entered, hands behind his back. "Not bad. For a first session, that was solid."
Kitty clapped Castiel on the shoulder. "You're gonna fit in just fine."
Even Illyana gave him a glance that wasn't quite hostile. Not friendly... but maybe neutral.
Castiel smiled to himself. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged in a place with others.