The Price of Greatness

Posted on Wed Jul 17th, 2024 @ 12:09am by Scott Summers & Connor Bruin

Mission: Episode 5: Days of Fortune Past
Location: X-Mansion | Garage
Timeline: October 10th, 1990

Professor Xavier had called for a house meeting later that day. Rumor had it that Scott and Jean would be there. That piqued Connor's interest because there was a matter of import stewing around his brain into which Scott could provide singular insight. It was the question of leadership.

Besides the Professor himself, there was no greater leader that Connor knew personally besides Scott Summers. He had watched from afar as the impetuous teenage Scott was forged into Cyclops, leader of the X-Men. Now, in a shocking turn of events that not even the Muses of Parnassus would have seen coming, the Professor had posed the same opportunity to Connor.

This was Connor's 110th day as a member of the X-Men. Now he was forced to choose whether he would accept the offer, privilege, and responsibility of leading them. Whichever angle from which he looked at the situation, it still felt surreal. Was he qualified? Would others follow him? What did it mean for the future of the team? A grounding rod like Scott was necessary to come to a decision.

Connor heard the rumble of a 4.0L engine accessing a mere fraction of its 190 horsepower coming up the driveway. Scott's Jeep. He hurried to the garage, knowing that Scott and Jean would be collecting donations before doing anything else. It would be the perfect time to speak away from the others.

After dropping Jean off at the front door with a parting kiss, Scott left her to speak with the Professor while he parked the Jeep outside the garage to gather the donations. There weren't a lot, so he didn't anticipate the need for help loading them into the cargo area. Better to let Jean get a head start on preparing her presentation to the students.

To Scott's surprise, the garage door was already open. Connor stood just within, several plastic trash bags in hand. Rolling to a stop, Scott put the Jeep in park and killed the engine.

"Hey, buddy," Scott said through the open window. "Thanks for the help."

Connor flung the bags into the back and then began to sign. "YOU ARE WELCOME. CAN WE TALK?"

Checking the clock, Scott let out a bemused chuckle. "Sure, why not? You gave me 15 minutes to spare. What's on your mind?"

Looking to the left and the right, Connor thought better of voicing his concern out in the open. He climbed into the passenger seat and rolled up the window.

"Okay..." Scott furrowed his brow. Whatever this was seemed to be important, but with Connor that could be anything.

Once inside the Jeep with the windows rolled up and the doors locked for good measure, Connor began to frame his concerns for Scott. At first, he took a folded paper out of his pocket and handed it to Scott.

"What's this?" Scott took the paper in hand and began to unfold it. Hand-scrawled block lettering in all capitals revealed the matter which had Connor in a tizzy.

DEAR SCOTT SUMMERS,

I FIND MYSELF UPON THE PRECIPICE OF GREATNESS. NEVER IN MY MOST FANTASTICAL DREAMS DID I IMAGINE I COULD EVER BECOME AN X-MEN. IT HAS TRULY BEEN THE HONOR OF MY LIFE. THE EXPERIENCES ALONE HAVE BEEN IMPACTFUL IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT MYSELF, TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DIFFERENCES WE HAVE MADE IN THE WORLD AT LARGE.

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE, THEN, WHEN PROFESSOR XAVIER ASKED ME TO CONSIDER ASSUMING THE LEADERSHIP ROLE LEFT VACANT BY YOURSELF AND THEN BY CAMERON HOOD AKA ARMOURY. I CONFESS THAT I QUESTION THE PROFESSOR'S JUDGMENT FOR REASONS OF FAILURE TO MEET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS SUCH AS SUBPAR COMMUNICATION SKILLS. IF MY QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ON THE TEAM ARE SUSPECT, HOW SPURIOUS THEN FOR ME TO LEAD IT.

THIS HAS PRESENTED ME WITH A DILEMMA. SHOULD I REFUSE, THEN I WILL DISAPPOINT PROFESSOR XAVIER. IF I ACCEPT, I WILL INEVITABLY FAIL THE TEAM. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

MOST SINCERELY,

CONNOR BRUIN

Scott read the letter all the way through, took a deep breath, browsed it again carefully, and exhaled slowly. "I get it,' he finally said. "You're asking yourself the same questions I did, what everyone who's ever faced the call of duty has ever asked. Am I really the one?"

"YES, I HAVE ASKED MYSELF THAT QUESTION 157 TIMES," Connor admitted. "I AM NO CLOSER TO AN ANSWER. HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR ANSWER?"

"The answer to that question isn't found in the mind," Scott said. "It's found out here, in the real world. If something needs to be done, then go do it. Don't ask how. You only need why. If you have that, then the how, what, when, and where sort themselves out."

"THAT MAKES NO SENSE," Connor said. "TELL ME MORE."

Another sigh, another tack, Scott tried again. "Where there's a will, there's a way," he said. "If you want something bad enough, then you'll get it, or make it happen, or find whatever other form of success you're seeking. Find your why, Connor, and never let it go. Nothing can stop you with the right why."

"THE CONVERSE TO YOUR ASSERTION IS THAT SUCCESS IS UNATTAINABLE WITHOUT THE PROPER PURPOSE." Connor looked at Scott for acknowledgement.

"Sure..." Scott nodded. "I hadn't exactly thought of it that way before, but you have a point. The..." He braced himself for a moment before pushing through. "... the greatest regrets of my life came from the times I lost my why."

"DO YOU MEAN WITH AURORA?" Connor stared at him blankly.

"Yes... Connor... among other times." Scott fought to retain his graciousness.

"LIKE WHEN?" Connor pressed.

"Like when I got into scuffles with Warren... or yelled at Bobby... or even cursed myself in the mirror." Emotion began to seep through Scott's taciturn face as he reflected on some of his lowest points. "People are you going to let you down, Connor, probably yourself most of all. But you can't let that distract you. As team leader, you have to keep one eye the goal and another eye on your people. Multiple objectives fall in between them."

"SO LEADERSHIP IS A PUZZLE," Connor said, "WITH PEOPLE AS PIECES. I LIKE CHESS."

Scott chuckled at that. "Yeah, I know you do. And I'm sure I don't have to tell you that chess was originally invented to instill leadership principles into military officers."

"NOT QUITE," Connor said. "CHESS IS A EUROPEAN TRADITION DERIVED FROM THE PERSIAN GAME SHATRANJ AND THE INDIAN GAME CHATURANGA BEFORE IT. THE PURPOSES FOR EACH ARE QUITE DIFFERENT."

"Connor..." Scott pinched the bridge of his nose.

"BUT THEY ARE ALL EDUCATIONAL IN THEIR OWN RIGHT." Connor grinned. "I JUST LIKE TO BE THOROUGH."

"Nothing wrong with that," Scott said. "But sometimes you can't be. Executive decisions may require immediate action. Being hesitant can be worse than being hasty. It's rare when doing nothing is the right thing, so you can't be afraid to make a mistake. The wrong action is almost always better than no action. That's why I have never questioned a field decision... and I never will."

"ONLY BEDROOM DECISIONS."

"Right." Scott couldn't decide whether he wanted to laugh or punch Connor in the mouth. "Don't do what I did."

The two young men shared a laugh. However, Connor's below-the-belt remark raised another question.

"I ALREADY DID." Connor looked at Scott with skepticism. "BLISS AND I ARE ROMANTIC. ARE YOU SAYING THAT IS A MISTAKE?"

Scott looked out the window and chuckled before looking back at Connor. "Look, Connor, that's not for me to say. Only you can decide who you love and who you don't. I can say that Jean is my reason why. Everything I love in this world is wrapped up in her. Without her, I'm not whole, I begin to fall apart and I become... someone I don't want to be." He held up his hand to keep Connor from interjecting. "Now, maybe Bliss is that for you, maybe she's not. Your reason why can be anything. Professor Xavier's reason is his dream of a peaceful future which has instilled hope in all of us. Find it, whatever it is, and don't let anything separate you from it."

"WHAT IF BLISS GETS BETWEEN ME AND MY REASON FOR LEADING?" Connor asked.

"I can't tell you what the price of greatness is for you," Scott said. "All I can do is say that it's worth paying. I'm sorry if that doesn't help."

Connor shook his head. "NO, ON THE CONTRARY. IT HELPS A LOT."

"Oh? Then you've made your decision?" Scott shrugged in surprise.

"YES. I WILL DO IT. I WILL LEAD THE TEAM BECAUSE THE TEAM IS MY REASON FOR BEING HERE. I NEED IT AS MUCH AS IT NEEDS A LEADER. AND PROFESSOR X HAS A STELLAR RECORD OF CHOOSING SOLID LEADERS. I WILL TRUST HIS JUDGMENT." Connor nodded with resolve.

Despite slightly flushing at Connor's unexpected praise, Scott returned his nod with a taciturn acknowledgement. "You won't go wrong there. And the Professor has a habit of seeing things in us we don't see in ourselves. If he thinks you're the one to lead, then the others will follow you. I would."

That touched on quite a bit of doubt that Connor had not even expressed, which was competence. But Scott had been right about one thing—knowing the why did make the how virtually inconsequential.

"THANK YOU, SCOTT. I WILL SEE AT THE HOUSE MEETING."

Connor exited the Jeep and bounded away toward the parlor where the meeting would be. Nobody was likely to be there yet, so it would be as good of a place to sit, think, and process as any. When he next saw Professor Xavier, there was a knowing smirk on the old man's face.

~I can see you have an answer for me, Connor~

~Yes, Professor~ Connor nodded. ~I AM READY~