Being Useful

Posted on Mon Jul 13th, 2026 @ 10:47am by Drew Williams & Jean Grey-Summers

2,704 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 8: Shadows Over Avalon
Location: Stasis Chamber
Timeline: TBD probably day after arriving around 6pm ish

Drew had spent most of his second day back at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in solitary vigil. He had spent a great deal of time wondering what he should do going forward. He wanted to help find a cure. Not just for Angela, but for the rest of the X-Men. He thought about his short time as an X-Men from the year before. Drew had never considered himself the heroic type prior to the first time at the School, but the mission to Genosha had opened his eyes to the injustice mutants were subjected to world wide. He had begun to believe in Professor Xavier’s dream that mutants could learn to work towards understanding between humanity and mutant kind. It was that belief that had put him on a personal mission to protect the students at Empire State University as a guardian of sorts.

Drew looked at Angela in her stasis pod. She had asked him why he had started patrolling the campus to stop muggings, assaults or prevent the random accidents that occurred. His answer had been simple. If a person had the power to prevent bad things from happening, but did nothing then they were as bad as those who preyed on the weak or disenfranchised. He believed that the only way to make the world a better place was to do what you could to make it better. Angela had understood. She had organized the girls in her dorm to look out for one another. Staying in groups at the library and returning to the dorms safely.

Drew had often patrolled the campus at night. Using his speedster abilities to prevent crimes against people. He went to great efforts to conceal his identity, wearing a mask and wearing nondescript dark clothing and gloves to subdue violent attackers without causing undue harm. His interventions earned him the nickname the Blur.

Drew looked at his watch and realized that the normal schools business hours were over. He had promised to meet up with Jennifer for dinner and try and figure out what his next step should be. He thought about returning to New York City, but the thought of leaving Angela was overwhelming. He still wasn't sure what to do. Jean had assured him that he didn't need to make a decision right away, but he wondered what he could do if he stayed. He wasn't a student anymore. He knew if he would need to prove he could be useful. He just wasn't sure how that could be accomplished. He turned to leave the Stasis Chamber when the door opened.

Patrolling the stasis chamber had become a fixed part of Jean's daily routine. Cerebro continuously monitored every pod, alerting her to the slightest irregularity, but that reassurance had never been enough. Twice each day she descended into the quiet chamber herself, unwilling to entrust the lives resting there solely to machines.

Drew sensed her presence long before she arrived. It began as a crushing wave of longing and quiet remorse that settled over the room like an invisible fog, pressing against his chest until the silence itself seemed heavy. Then came a flicker of movement as a tiny bird wrought entirely of living fire drifted into existence.

No larger than a dove, it glided effortlessly through the chamber, its ember bright wings beating without sound. It circled the rows of stasis pods with eerie purpose before alighting upon a thick cable leading into Angela's chamber. The creature peered down at him even though it possessed no eyes or discernible features beyond the rough silhouette of a bird sculpted from dancing flame. Yet somehow, Drew knew it was watching him. Its body burned with impossible intensity, tongues of golden fire curling and shifting without scorching the cables beneath its talons or even warming the air around it. Everything about it felt profoundly wrong, not evil but something much older and vaster, it felt like witnessing a force of nature trying to masquerade as something alive.

Its presence stirred a primal instinct buried deep within him, a certainty that he stood before an omen of endings, a harbinger that civilizations might glimpse in their final moments. As the eyeless thing stared down at him, Drew couldn't shake the unnerving certainty that it was looking beyond flesh and bone, peering directly into his soul and silently passing judgment on what it found there.

"Drew?" Jean's gentle voice shattered the oppressive silence. As she stepped through the doorway, the fiery bird dissolved without ceremony, its form unraveling into glowing embers that vanished into the air as though it had never existed. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone down here."

The stasis chamber was one of the loneliest places in Xavier's. Though heavily guarded, few people ever willingly entered it. The room was immaculate and eerily silent save for the rhythmic hum of life support systems, and lined with rows of sleeping figures suspended somewhere between life and death. Most who visited said it felt less like a medical facility and more like a mausoleum.

Jean's eyes followed Drew's gaze to Angela's pod before returning to him, a gentle smile touching her lips. "Are you here to visit Angela?" There was unmistakable warmth in her voice, touched with quiet gratitude. "That's very kind of you."

Drew glanced at Angela’s pod, then turned back to Jean. "Thank you ma'am, but I was actually just getting to leave. I've been here most of the day, except for meal and bathroom breaks." He paused and looked towards the pod containing Scott Summers, returning his gaze to Jean. "I am meeting Jennifer for dinner and was hoping to clear out by the time you got here." His expression held a deep sympathy. "I guessed you would probably show up at the end of the work day and want to spend some time alone with your husband."

“You can stay as long as you'd like. I don't need to be alone.” Jean stepped closer and rested a gentle hand against Scott's pod. She wore a brave face, but the grief beneath it was impossible to hide. She had been a newlywed for less than a year before everything had been taken from her, and there would always be a part of her missing for as long as Scott remained beyond her reach.

"But I agree with you," she continued softly. "Coming here helps. Just... seeing them makes it feel a little less..." Her voice faltered before the final word could escape her lips. She couldn't bring herself to say dead, but the silent presence of the Phoenix hanging over her thoughts spoke it plainly enough.

A small smile returned as she looked back at Drew. "I'm glad you're getting out and spending time with Jennifer." Her hand lingered on Scott's pod while her attention settled fully on him. "I've found that staying busy and having people to lean on keeps me from sinking too deeply into the gloom. Not that there's any shortage of work to do around here or in the city."

She let out a quiet, self-conscious laugh, the sound carrying more weariness than amusement. It was all she could do to keep from feeling overwhelmed by the enormous amount of responsibility she had been thrust into. "So... I'm glad you're seeing Jennifer."

Drew gave what looked to be a sad smile. "I don't know if we're back together or not. She brought me to my room last night and helped me get sort of settled. Sat with me as I fell asleep." He felt a bit reluctant to say more, but he knew he was in the presence of one of Earth's most powerful telepaths. "She stayed the night. Nothing happened. I swear. We just slept."

“Your personal affairs are exactly that, personal.” Jean dismissed the subject with a gentle wave of her hand. “I'm here if you ever want to talk, but you don't owe me an explanation or a defense of what did or didn't happen with Jennifer. You're both adults, and I respect your privacy.”

Drew looked at Scott’s stasis pod and turned back to Jean. "I am grateful for the offer t stay here at the school. If I do. I need to feel useful, BE useful. I could tutor students, be a teacher's assistant. Heck, I could be an onsite maintenance guy. I'm pretty good at automotive mechanics. I could even work with Doctor Reyes with like administrative issues if need be."

“I appreciate anyone willing to lend a hand. No one here is obligated to, of course, but I understand the need to have a purpose and to feel useful. Those are important things, and they shouldn't be ignored.”

She paused, mentally taking stock of the ever growing list of responsibilities that came with running Xavier's.

“We've been fortunate in some areas. Grounds keeping and maintenance are covered, the barn has two capable cowboys looking after it, we have a P.E. instructor, a music teacher, and even someone helping with English.” She let out a soft, amused breath. “But science... science is still a glaring hole in our curriculum.”

“The students can read theories from a textbook and memorize concepts well enough, but science is meant to be experienced. Seeing a reaction firsthand, conducting an experiment, asking questions as they happen that's where real understanding begins. The curriculum is already prepared, so you wouldn't be expected to build lesson plans from scratch. You'd simply be bringing the material to life through demonstrations, experiments, and practical applications. Hank left behind extensive lesson plans, research logs, and laboratory notes that would give you an excellent foundation to work from.”

Jean tilted her head ever so slightly, her expression open but without a hint of pressure.
“Is that something you think you'd enjoy doing?”

Drew listened attentively to what what Jean said. He was quiet for a moment. Could he effectively teach the science classes. He remembered Hanks classes and had been in the advanced placement courses at his previous high school for the junior year and first semester of senior year. He also knew that the science classes and individual studies were extensively well prepared. He finally nodded his head. "I wasn't expecting to actually be a science and math teacher, but yes ma'am. I can at least get the students through the remainder of the spring semester. I can study for a teaching certificate if Salem Center has a local college."

It was a lot more than he was really ready for, but he thought he could meet the goal, especially if most of the lesson plan was already in place. He nodded. "I'll do it. I won't let you down."

“You don’t need a teaching certificate to teach at Xavier’s,” Jean explained. “We’re a private school, so we aren’t bound by the same requirements as the public school system. In many ways, that’s a blessing. It gives us the freedom to meet each student where they are, allowing them to learn at their own pace while they develop control over their abilities.”

“That said, I admire your eagerness to learn a new skill and earn the certification. If it’s something you want to pursue, you’ll have my full support. Charles always believed education should be accessible to anyone with the desire to learn…” She let out a soft, nostalgic laugh. “It’s probably why Hank has accumulated enough degrees for the rest of us.”

“The curriculum is already established and approved, so you won’t be starting from scratch. Most of your effort will go into preparing your hands-on lessons, keeping them organized, and finding ways to make them engaging and meaningful for your students should be the priority. There will also be times when you're called away on X-Men missions, at those times they will follow the predetermined lesson plans so their education can continue without interruption.”

Jean folded her hands together, her expression settling into one of quiet reassurance.
“And, of course, Xavier’s will compensate you for both roles. You'll be paid for your work as an X-Man and for your time as a teacher.”

Drew gave Jean a nod. He wasn't particularly concerned about compensation. Room, meals and medical care for Angela was his only real worries at the moment. "I can work out the details with Jennifer. I understand she's your administrative coordinator at the moment."

"Jennifer sorts my mail and regularly drives into the city to deliver documents between Xavier's and X-Corp's legal office," Jean said, genuine appreciation in her voice. "I value the time she saves me by handling those trips, and I trust her with important deliveries like affidavits and checks that need to arrive promptly." She offered a polite but steady smile before continuing. "That said, if you have any concerns regarding Xavier's administrative matters, I'd appreciate it if you brought them directly to me."

He had a few other things he would need to take care of in the next day or two. "I do need to return to New York City for a day. Two tops. I need to pull us both out of Empire State University, get our belongings packed and retrieve my car. All of that should take more than a day or day in a half. One day if someone could collect Angela's stuff while I get my things packed and loaded up. Day and a half if I am doing things on my own."

"Jennifer has access to the school's vehicles and regularly drives into the city. And if you have anything heavy to move, I suggest you ask Madi or Alaric to lend you a hand." Jean smiled at her own comment, "I guess it just depends on how sneaky you need to be with your departure."

He glanced at Scott’s stasis pod. "We could talk more later this evening about that. You need to have time with Scott right now." It had been hard today in the Stasis Chamber, but the solitude had provided him with time to reflect on how to go forward. His future for the moment was best spent at Xavier’s with people he had known just over a year ago. The people who were fellow X-Men, friends and in one particular case, a woman he still harbored strong feelings for.

"Stop by my office tomorrow and I'll have a few things for you to sign. I'll also give you the lesson plans, along with a copy of Hank's notes, so you can familiarize yourself with the curriculum." Jean gave a small nod, already making a mental checklist of the paperwork she needed to prepare. "Once you've had some time to develop ideas for your labs, fill out a supply request and I'll provide petty cash to cover whatever you need. I'll let you know when semester grades are due, and if you have any questions in the meantime, Kennedy or Madi would be happy to help. They stepped into their teaching roles much the same way you are."

Throughout the conversation, the hand Jean had rested against Scott's stasis pod never moved. As Drew's gaze drifted toward it, hers followed. Scott's familiar, stoic expression was obscured behind the ruby quartz visor and a thin layer of frost coating the glass. They all looked so cold and lifeless inside their pods, more like coffins waiting for mourners than chambers preserving hope.

"Have a good night, Drew... and enjoy your dinner." Her thumb traced a slow circle against the icy glass in a futile attempt to bridge the barrier between them and feel her husband's touch one last time. "The quiet moments together matter too." A faint, wistful smile crossed her lips. "In fact, I think they matter the most. I'd recommend the Italian restaurant in town. Ask Marco for the booth in the back."

Drew looked at Jean turning to Scott’s stasis pod. He remained quiet. He glanced briefly at Angela’s pod until Jean addressed him one final time. His gaze returned to Jean’s for approximately three seconds. He gave a single nod before turning and exiting the chamber to leave Jean alone.

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