Xaviers!

William walked through the halls of the dorm rubbing his temple, where a shiny bruise was forming.

Getting Lumis' call for the X-Men to appear, he had dashed through his door to head to the X-Men meeting site, only to slam into an unexpected brick wall. So he was fairly well scraped up, and would probably have a shiner.

Good job, X-Man.

((open))

"I knew it. I just bloody knew it. The world goes haywire, and if there is always one constant, it's that another bloody me would be waltzing around the place," the boy complained as he came around the corner.

"Wh...what th..." William said, his fists shifting to iron as he took a half-step back. "Who are...what is this?"

"Taliesin, Legion, and now this. I swear, my life is designed to be as painfully awkward as possible.

Bleeding. Really. Honestly, it's amazing you made it out of first year, William Stanton. And the earring does not work, let me tell you -- you don't look like an adult on his own, you look like a massive poser.

C'mere, let's get you patched up," he sighed.

"What's...going on here? You're some kind of...alternate version of me?"

"I'd say I'm an upgrade, but that's not exactly true. A refined version, let's say -- your good parts amplified, your bad parts tossed away. Character growth and development," the boy said wiping some of the blood off of William's elbows.

"Man, that takes me back."

"R...right," William said, looking around.

"What happened to you? You look normal, but...there's something off."

"I grew. I evolved. You go to college to find yourself, right? Well, it turns out I was containing a whole bunch of surprises," the boy smirked.

William frowned, falling into a half-step behind the boy as they walked. "I'm...not sure what you mean."

"And I'm not going to give you spoilers. You're going to have to figure it out on your own.

But you're made of sterner stuff than you give yourself credit for, William Stanton. You're a hero down in here," he said, poking him in the chest. "And you'll find it. There'll be pain and there'll be sadness and there will be strife, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And I am very, very strong, indeed."

John, hornless and in full uniform, walked through a door and nearly opened it in a Will's face.

"Oh! There you are Wi-huh? Why are there two of you?"

"There'll be more of that before we're done, here," the boy frowned. "You hanging in there?"

"...yes? Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, confused.

"The world's gone all wonzo out there. I haven't really seen anyone I've known yet apart from you."

"Oh. Well, there is that," he almost-chuckled. "I haven't found the others in this maze yet either."

"Let's, uh.

Let's get outside, and go from there? Does that sound right?" William asked, looking around at the others to see if they agreed.

"No no no," the boy sighed. "Be more decisive. Not 'should we' or 'can we', but 'this is what we're doing now'. You've still got a spine, use it."

"Bold you has a point. Not that I'd put it that way."

"R-right. Then...

To the quad! For victory!" he said, with false bravado.

"Close enough," he laughed, following Will.

The boy's eyes glazed over for just a moment.

"Follow me. I think I know where to go..."

"Oh? And where is that?" he asked curiously.