Chapter Text
A seasonal change was in the air as the wind chills and the landscape of New York City is painted with red and orange foliage.
As the different and vibrant colour leaves ruffled their way through the city, the smells of crafted ciders and pumpkin spices filled the air.
In the middle of Manhattan stood a set of sleek and almost futuristic buildings surrounded by an attractively landscaped courtyard.
These set of buildings represented the world-class Ivy League university Horizon, founded by billionaire Norman Osborne.
The various buildings that made up Horizon stood out amongst the surrounding structures as it was clad in lots of windows, which gave the university an almost transparent appeal.
With this appeal, the Ivy League university sits on seventy-seven acres as it services its twenty-two-thousand students. And thanks to its great location, Horizon allows the students to be within walking distance from the busyness of New York City. 
Like its striking and sleek look, Horizon highly encourages its students with the mission of the school: ‘Always Challenge the Status Quo.’ This mission is especially geared to the STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – students are allowed to create their own inventions, for STEM is focused on stimulating the brain and giving it a free reign to create, rather than simply replicate what is already known to the world.
Amongst the faculty of Horizon there entire university is headed by President Charles Xavier.
Besides the president of the university, there are many highly successful staff members.
Dr. Hank McCoy teaches Biophysics and Philosophy.
Dr. William "Bill" Foster teaches Physical Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Dr. Curt Connors teaches Quantum Mechanics, Biology, and Biochemistry.
Dr. Davide Otto Buonaparte teaches Introduction to Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Advanced Atomic Physics, Advanced Nuclear Physics, and The Science and Technology of Energy.
George Modok teaches Advanced Quantum Mechanics.
Howard Morita teaches Astronomy.
Roger Harrington teaches General Science.
Monica Warren teaches Basic Physics.
Raymond Warren teaches Inorganic Chemistry.
Mitch Cobbell teaches Chemistry.
Adam Brashear teaches Biology.
Bridget Chan teaches Earth Sciences.
Doctor Moon teaches Zoology.
Dr. Naoko Yamada-Jones teaches Human Physiology, Introduction to Medical Science, and Aspects of the Art of Medicine.
Andre Wilson teaches Health and Physical Education.
Barry Hapgood teaches Woodwork.
Colette Freeman teaches Pre-Law, Business Law, and Intellectual Property Law.
Emma Hernandez teaches Business and Management.
Emil Blonsky teaches Literature.
Ronda Kramer teaches Fine Art.
Debbie Berman teaches Video Making.
Rita Watson teaches Music Theory, World Music, and Vocal Studies.
Julius Dell teaches World History.
Hiawatha Smith teaches Archaeology.
And finally, Tom Corsi teaches Human Geography.
Horizon University boasts many more accomplished staff and professors but these particular few have made a serious impact in their fields.
This particular day marked orientation day for freshman and returning students throughout the campus.
In the science building, specifically in a very large auditorium, the science students filled the theater-style seats as they talked amongst themselves while they all waited for the various science professors to introduce themselves and kick-off the beginning of their fall term.
These students include, David Alleyne, Emery Schuab, Kevin Masterson, Ben Reilly, Kaine Parker, Azari Dzemberu, Jimmy Hudson, Graydon Creed, Grady Scraps, Arno Stark, Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Kurt Wagner, Victor ‘Vision’ Shade, James Proudstar, Cindy Moon, Asha Wambe, Colin "Chaos" Mason, Ruth-Bat Seraph, Alistair Smythe, Carolyn Trainer, Warren Worthington III, and Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee.
In two particular seats sat an athletically built young man wearing Ruby-Quartz tented sunglasses listening intently to his new friend Kurt Wagner, a German born kid who was now the newest member of his adopted family. 
The young German boy was speaking quite happily about being able to live with Professor Xavier and Scott and the others but he did find it weird that Scott and his other adopted siblings were in some of the same classes as him as well as the Professor was the president of the same college. 
This made Scott laugh and slap his new brother’s shoulder in brotherly-camaraderie. “Don’t worry Kurt, you’ll get use to it!”
Completely ignoring this conversation in the very first row was a young woman with very long red hair pressed a chaste kiss on her tall boyfriend’s cheek. “Vision, you and your indestructible head have fun in class,” the young woman said.
Chuckling at this, Vision kissed her cheek as well, saying, “Thank you, Wanda.”
With that, Wanda left her boyfriend to head to her own class across the campus. Once she left the though, Vision took his seat and got comfortable he couldn’t help but notice that a young blond haired man sitting next to him with a nervous yet excited expression. 
“Hi there, I’m Victor but my friends call me Vision,” he said, startling the young blond next to him.
Eyes wide for a moment before he then calmed down and answered, “O-oh, hi! I’m Ben Reilly.”
Smiling at the other young man, Vision said, “Nice to meet you Ben. You must be new here, right?”
Ben nodded, a few strands of his thick blond hair fell in his face, before he swiped them away, saying, “Yeah. I’m a freshman here and I’m majoring in biophysics.”
“Nice!” Vision said encouragingly, “I’m a junior and double majoring in engineering and physics.”
Whistling lowly with his eyes widened, Ben said in an awed tone, “Whoa, dude, that’s tough!”
Vision nodded but smiled, “It is but I’m passionate about both and looking to do great work with those degrees.”
As he spoke, the doors in front of the first row opened and through them a few professors came through. However, both young men – like most of the class – paid very little attention to Dr. William “Bill” Foster, Roger Harrington, and Howard “Howie” Morita enter the auditorium.
Continuing with their conversation as if no one else came into the room, Vision asked, “Who’re you looking most forward to having as a professor?”
Sitting a little straighter in his seat and bouncing his leg in excitement, Ben answered, “I’m really excited to have Dr. Buonaparte for Introduction to Nuclear and High Energy Physics.”
A still silence came over Vision as he felt a chilling crackle fill his veins.
In seeing the upper classman’s eyes widened with his jaw hanging open, Ben began to feel several nervous drops of perspiration drip down his forehead.
Stuttering, Ben asked, “W-what’s wrong?”
Blinking himself back into the present, Vision then moved forward as he leant closer to Ben and answered in a staged whisper, “You’re definitely new since you’re genuinely excited to be in The Angry Giant’s class.”
“Whaa?” Ben reeled back some, and unconsciously looked to the front door once again as other professors – Raymond Warren, Mitch Cobbell, Adam Brashear, Bridget Chan, Doctor Moon – entered the room. Immediately looking back to his new friend, Ben asked, “What’re you talking about?”
Whispering very lowly, Vision answered, “While Dr. Buonaparte is a highly successful man – with his successful fusion reactor and winning the Nobel Prize and more – around here he’s known as a… giant hardnose.”
Vision continued after a paused when he noticed the uncomprehending expression that had crossed Ben’s face. “You see Ben, Dr. Buonaparte is not a cruel man but he is a very No-Nonsense kind of professor. He doesn’t want to hear about your life and your problems. Just come in with your work ready and done. If you need help with the course material, he prefers you to come in and plainly tell him; otherwise, he’s going to see your hesitation as wasting his time. He’s not interested in being friends with the students nor does he care whether or not that he’s liked by the students or by the other faculty. Other than that, he’s also very stubborn and very reserved.”
Before Vision could say anything else, the doors to the auditorium swung open to reveal a massive head bent down to clear the door’s crossbeam. Once the figure cleared the door’s top and squeezed through, he straightened up once more.
This caused almost every freshman student to gasp softly, as their eyes widened and their jaws went slack. Unconsciously, for some of the freshmen, they leant as far back in their seats as they could, for they were all quite physically intimidated by the figure. Most who have not seen Davide don’t know how imposing his stature is in real life.
His imposing physique only enhanced his image and reputation as someone not to be on the wrong side of personally as well as academically.
Lumbering toward the other professors at the front of the room, the enormous figure inclined his head as he greeted his peers with an ever-so-slight smile in professionalism.
This figure was non-other than Dr. Davide Stefano Otto Buonaparte, famous nuclear physicist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner.
The forty-one year old was, truly, a massive man, which could easily be seen as he now stood next to his colleagues and peers as they only came up to his mid chest area while others just below his pectorals.
Dressed in dark grey slacks that were somewhat snug around his massive thighs and a dark hunter green turtleneck adorned his large upper body, Davide turned to look to the crowd of students in front of him and stared everyone down as he took in the array of students in the room.
Looking away from the giant professor, Vision looked to Ben, saying, “That’s Dr. Buonaparte.”
Shaking his head slightly in disbelief before leaning over to the upper classman, Ben whispered, “You forgot to mention that Dr. Buonaparte is a giant. Like an actual giant, dude!” Before looking back to the giant physicist who was shaking hands with Dr. McCoy. While the giant-of-a-man was greeting the other man, Ben also noted that Dr. Buonaparte’s broad shoulders were rounded from what he could only guess to be the consequence of constantly being around shorter, normal sized people.
Ignoring the new arrival of professors entering the auditorium, Vision retorted with a smirk, “I guess I forgot that part.”
Before Ben could retort, Professor Harrington’s voice rang through the room saying, “Hello students! I’m Professor Roger Harrington and I want to welcome you all to a new school year. So, let's just put all the past year’s craziness behind us and have a nice, peaceful school term.” 
Since the beginning of the Fall semester three weeks ago, the students of Horizon University have reacclimated themselves with the community of the Ivy League school.
With the sun high and the clouds seemingly sparse in the blue sky, the moderate and comfortable weather that September provided was an added bonus for the students and staff.
However, in one particular office, the weather did nothing to lighten the mood of its occupants.
Roger ‘Hardball’ Brokeridge, a green eyed and slender young man from an upper middle class family, was currently slouched in a chair before Dr. Buonaparte’s large desk one day in the late afternoon hours. The young man was a sophomore known for his over-the-top antics when he made a rare touchdown for their school football team, his flippant attitude in his various classes, and his harassment toward the female and male student body.
“Roger, you’ve been in my Introduction to Nuclear and High Energy Physics class all of three weeks and yet you’ve not been turning in your work in nor have you been participating in any of the reading assignments for the class,” Dr. Buonaparte said, while not looking up from the papers he was currently grading. Continuing, he asked, “Why haven’t you been doing the work?”
Shrugging nonchalantly, Roger said flippantly, “I heard you saying do your homework, matter of fact I did. But you never said about handing it in to you.”
Not amused by this at all, Dr. Buonaparte stopped writing for a moment and with a chilling slowness, he lifted his head from its downward position to look at the young man. His movements and chilling silence caught Roger off guard.
In the enormous man’s motionless state, Roger felt his lips become dry with the bead of sweat begin to drip down his forehead. “Okay, okay in all seriousness: At first I couldn’t access the files but when I did and printed it out, I left it on my side table, I kept it loose from the folder. My butler threw it away thinking it as a trash when I was away.”
After a long tense moment between Roger and Dr. Buonaparte, the impossibly large man asked almost rhetorically, “Is that really your excuse?”
Roger didn’t answer and with that Dr. Buonaparte looked back to his papers simmering in annoyance.
“Have you been professionally diagnosed with a mental disability?” he asked.
Roger scrunched his eyes in confusion and shook his head, saying, “No.”
“Did someone die?” Dr. Buonaparte asked tersely.
Now rolling his eyes, Roger shook his head and again answered, “No.”
“Seeing as to how you were on time for class and that you’re standing here, you obviously have no transportation problems,” said Dr. Buonaparte mentioned before looking up from his paper work to look at the boy before him.
“Look, Doc, it’s no big deal. It’s…” Roger said, but before he could finish, Dr. Buonaparte interrupted him.
“I don’t care.”
Shocked by this simple yet harsh statement, Roger immediately stopped talking.
“I don’t care about your – quite frankly – pathetic excuses as to why you didn’t do your homework and why you weren’t prepared for class these past several weeks. I don’t pity you for procrastinating and not managing your time better. I’m certainly not going to coddle you because you’re – in all intense of purposes – lazy. And you’re going to realize that in the real world: neither is your future employer. You’re going to realize that if you go into a workforce with this same attitude your employer isn’t going to be happy. And when that happens, he or she will replace you rather quickly with someone who not only did their best but will also do the best of someone better,” Dr. Buonaparte said, almost emotionless.
Leaning back in his greatly groaning chair, Dr. Buonaparte said, “At this juncture, the only thing you must consider whether or not to utilize the Add-Drop period for this week. If you choose to drop my class, it won’t affect your GPA. Otherwise, you’ll fail my class and it will greatly hurt your GPA.”
Unable to believe how the professor was speaking to him, Roger’s face became red and irate, exclaiming, “How dare you! Do you know who I am? DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS?! HE WI–“
“From what I’m told, your father is a little bully owner of a mid-sized, three store franchised convenient store. He’s made enough money to obviously buy your way into this school despite your unimpressive transcript,” Dr. Buonaparte said with a look of boredom across his face. “Yet again: I’d advise you to drop my class before it hurts your GPA.”
Shocked, embarrassed, and more than a little mad, Roger sat there for a moment unsure as to what to do; however, the young man nodded before getting up and moving toward the door without any other word said.
As Roger yanked the heavy door open, he abruptly stepped back when another student stumbled inside.
This student was Ava Ayala.
Stuttering in surprise, Ava began, “Oh, uh, sorry. I –”
But not willing to listen to anything else, Roger roughly shoulder his way past his peer as he left the room.
Blinking in very mild surprise, Ava then turned her attention to Dr. Buonaparte, who immediately asked, “Were you pressed against the door and ease dropping, Ava?”
Biting her bottom lip, Ava nodded and then answered, “Well, yes, sir. I’m sorry. I wasn’t at first but when I was about to knock, I couldn’t help but hear Roger yelling and…well I listened.”
Dr. Buonaparte sighed, “Ava. I can understand being curious, but ease dropping isn’t something I condone.”
Ava nodded in understanding as she then closed the door behind her.
With the door closed, Dr. Buonaparte then added “If you do find yourself able to contain yourself from listening, don’t get caught.”
At this Ava paused in surprise, especially when she caught the smallest smile twitch the corners of his lips.
Smiling back, Ava nodded before taking the seat in which Roger abandoned just moments earlier.
“Now, what can I help you with, Ava?” Dr. Buonaparte asked.
“Well, as you know, I’m majoring in Law but I want to continue to take your course. But I recently found out that I need to be in Business Law, which starts just five minutes before your class ends. So I was wondering if you and Professor Freeman could meet and see if there’s anyway I could start her class but also continue in your class,” Ava said, with a hopeful expression.
Pursing his lips in thought, Dr. Buonaparte was silent as he thought about how good of a student Ava was and that she was one of the hardest workers in his class. She was passionate about the material and always came prepared with questions about the course reading.
With that in mind, the giant professor nodded and affirmed, “I’ll be glad to talk with your professor, Ava. We’ll work something out for you.”
Smiling widely, Ava sighed in relief and said, “Oh thank you, Dr. Buonaparte!”
After saying this, the young woman practically skipped out of the room in happiness.
Also, happy for making a hard working student’s day, Dr. Buonaparte quickly typed on his large laptop – which was imported from his native Anchester Isle – Professor Freeman and found her office phone number. With that, the giant man picked up his office phone and quickly dialed the number.
The phone rang twice before, surprisingly, the line picked up and a woman answered, ‘Professor Freeman.’
“Hello Professor Freeman, I’m Dr. Davide Buonaparte and I’m calling on behalf of a student that we share: Ava Ayala.”
‘That’s right! She did tell me about wanting to keep your class.’
“That’s right. Is there anything that we could work out for her? She’s an excellent student,” he said.
Over the line, he heard her hum in thought before saying, ‘Look. I’m more than willing to work something out with you about Ava. Because you’re right! I’ve had her in several other classes and think she’s an amazing student with a lot of potential. But I gotta admit that you caught me at a bad time because I have to run and teach another class. But what do you say we meet in the campus coffee shop tomorrow and discuss things?’
“That sounds just fine to me,” Dr. Buonaparte said, “How’s four-o’clock in the evening, sound?”
‘Sounds like a date!’ he heard her say, ‘See you then.’
...:TBC:...