Xaviers!

Chase knocked on Professor Rede's door and peeked inside. He looked haunted.

"Can... we talk?" he asked.

Gideon closed a book he was looking at it before turning to consider Chase.

"Of course, come in," Gideon said

He walked in and paced around before taking a seat.

"He... he was there. In the battle. Black Dragon."

Gideon watched Chase.

"And what happened?" Gideon asked.

"At first I froze up. Just hearing his voice was like ice in my veins. If someone hadn't thrown me a sword... Excalibur apparently... he would have killed me then and there. I could feel that the sword meant something and it inspired me to fight the fear. We fought and for a moment I thought I had won. But it was just some kind of shadow puppet."

"He... said I was still his before he faded away."

"He's trying to confuse you," Gideon said, "It's not an uncommon tactic with those who abuse you. Make you feel like everything you do, everything you accomplish is simply a result of what they've done instead of through any effort of your own."

Gideon paused.

"His words cut deeply, but consider that you wielded Excalibur. That doesn't seem to be a thing one could do lightly or at all if they were not worthy of such a thing."

"I... didn't think I was worthy of anything so pure... if for just a moment. Even now I still feel tainted by ever surrendering to his influence."

"When I was around your age I felt similarly," Gideon said. "I can tell you that feeling never goes away completely. The feeling that you're tainted by that control and what you did. The best you can do is come to terms with it, to struggle against it, to hope to be more."

"But even so Excalibur chose you to be able to wield it. I believe that means you're on the right path, Chase."

Chase took a moment to let that sink in and nodded. "I just wish I knew what path that was. I'm not even entirely sure who I am now."

"Two questions that could take a lifetime to answer," Gideon said, "But the question isn't who you are perhaps, but instead who do you want to be? And of course what path do you want to walk?"

"I don't even really know who I want to be, only who I don't," he said a little miserably.

"Have you spent time thinking about it? You seem to be drawn towards super heroism," Gideon said.

"Well, yeah... It's just... I worry that fighting is all I'm ever going to be good for."

"Well, it's best if you have a plan for after you hang up your cape anyways. It gets harder to keep up as you get older. Unless your powers keep you forever youthful of course," Gideon said, "Do you enjoy any of your classes?"

"I might if I wasn't playing catch up in everything. On account of missing high school."