”Saaaaammmm!!!! Daddy!!!!” the screams could be heard from the large house in front of him. Ice blanketed the snow on the ground and the pines nearby. The moon illuminated a large mountain in the background splitting the sky as the stars being blanketed by black smoke. Fire was caked on the roof and siding of the house melting all the snow nearby. His family was in there. Ayrn his daughter, Sammy his son and Alexandra his wife whom he adored. His heart skipped a beat and he ran towards the house kicking the door down only to be engulfed in flames.

Sam popped upright with a cold sweat on his brow. A knife of ice now protruding from his hand quickly was chewed away from a rather large dog. The Saint Bernard first started to lick the knife then decided that it would be better away from the one who created it. Sam blinked as the dog hopped from the bed with the knife he made and almost stabbed said dog with. If it was anything else it would have been stabbed.

Dog aside Sam grabbed his throbbing forehead with his left hand. The hand took a second as it was uprooted from under a cat. ”why am I surrounded by animals.” Sam looked around trying to get a bearing on where he was his head still being held with his hand. Did he get drunk? No, he wouldn’t have done that. Agent Jackson would have taken advantage of the situation and taken him in while he was inebriated. Booze made him slower; he might have been able to take anyone while he was drunk but stalkers didn’t abide to the laws of man.

The place looked like an apartment. Two nightstands walled the bed in, one nearest to him sat a year marker for A.A. Sam wasn’t sure why he knew what it was from but that was the first thing that came to mind. Next to it was an eye patch. Was he involved with another pirate role play? Sam lifted the blankets and decided that wasn’t the case. He blinked and slipped out of bed not sure where was out.

The dog looked at him finishing the blade of ice and walked to the door. He wined, again not sure why Sam knew the dog was a he. Walking to the door he opened it to watch the dog and then the cat run out. Sam blinked again, closed the door and locked it. Where was he.

Sam hated not knowing where he was. Looking around the room he ignored most of the furniture. There was a fridge, a giant window outside into what looked like a park and some woods, a closet and a bathroom. Sam started there.

Walking into the bathroom he found the usual utensils one would have, except a hot pink toothbrush. Sam didn’t know why but his gaze lingered there for a second before finding a pair of boxers and pants. The pants seemed a little big on him but they fit with the belt. He was unfamiliar with everything but was some how set at ease with each new thing that caught his eyes. Sam paused when he looked into the mirror. He was disappointed. Without finding any bottles of booze near by he was hoping he’d find a bruise on his face, some explanation as to why he wasn’t familiar with where he woke up.

Last he remembered he was in a cabin in Canada, it was out of the way from everything safe from T.A.T.M.A.H. at least he’d be aware of their presence from far away. Even with the stalker bots he could have felt something. Something flashed behind Sam, he didn’t see it per say but felt it. He jerked his head to the shower behind him and saw nothing. He looked around again lowering the knife formed in his hand a second ago. Sam grunted and walked closer to the shower and touched the walls. Nothing. He could have sworn there was a person behind him.

Sam slowly walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom with his knife still making sure no one would get the jump on him. He walked to the nearest dresser looking for a shirt finding a zeppelin shirt he highly approved on Sam walked towards the door where he let the animals out.

Gawain was on his way across the Mansion, taking a shortcut through the mirrors. Some of the kids had found some loose gemstones in the hallway again, and since the newly established Mansion policy declared that the gems generated by the Atlantean princess had to be contained, suddenly all Mansion staff was busy trying to crush the impromptu black market that immediately sprung up amongst the kids.

Gawain ran past various vanities, bathrooms, and hallway mirrors, trying to see where the kid had gone, when one face that flashed past him gave him pause. He was a few rooms away by the time the whole thing registered in his mind... but when it did, he froze in his tracks. Tracing his route back across the mirrors, he stopped, staring into a bathroom that belonged to a somewhat familiar room.

Sam's room.

No.
Oh no.
Hell no.

"Sam?" Gawain stepped out of the bathroom, heading for the bedroom door. Sam had been around, sticking to his conviction of sobriety, but with all the things going down around the Mansion, they had not had time to talk much lately. He didn't even know about the baby yet. Unless he'd noticed Becca walking around with random new mutations.

Gawain poked his head in the bedroom, looking around, hoping really, really hard that Sam's face looking different had just been a figment of his imagination.

"Hey... Sam?"

Another flash of light behind him and then a voice. His name, his hand tightened on the knife. The voice came from the bathroom; he was just in there and didn’t see anyone. He didn’t like the situation. Sam dropped to his knee and turned shooting of beam of cold towards the bathroom door and the voice hoping to trap said voice.

Sam slowly backed up keeping focused where he just blasted some cold. He didn’t like being surprised, he didn’t like being in an unknown area and he did not like what was going on!! Sam grabbed the door and slowly poked his head out keeping his knife behind his back. He wasn’t sure what to expect. He defiantly did not expect to see some adults and teenagers roaming the halls. There wasn’t a ton but there was enough to take notice. Sam really didn’t like the situation.

Dropping his knife behind the door Sam walked out and quickly slammed the door shut. With a nice layer of ice on the door handle Sam quickly made a way down the hallway hoping to find an exit without drawing too much attention. His head hurt but he could fight his way out if needed. He was trained for it and if this had something to do with T.A.T. Sam had no problem fighting his way out after all if this was some sort of training facility for future agents they’d be coming after him eventually anyways.

The figure that Gawain spied in the bedroom was definitely Sam. A younger, leaner, two-eyed version of him, like, holy sh*t he looked young, practically a teenager.

A younger. Sam.

What have I done to deserve this?!

"Oh come on, this is just not f..."

A blast of cold cut Gawain's complaint short as he quickly backed into the bathroom again. Okay, so young, probably confused, and hostile. Trained child soldier Sam.

Oh, bother.

"Sam we need to talk!... Sam?"

Gawain peered out of the bathroom again just in time to see the door close and the handle turn silver with ice. Gawain swore under his breath and hopped back in the bathroom mirror, taking a shortcut into the hallway. The last thing he wanted was for a loose ice cannon to roam the hallways of the school.

Dropping out of a hallway mirror, Gawain held up his hands.

"Sam, stop! I can explain..."

Sam only made it two bedroom doors till he had to slow so he could swear under his breath and raised his hands up as stranger danger appeared again. Several things rushed to his mind as he slowly stopped on the carpet.

One: Stranger Danger was able to escape and enter locked rooms.
Two: Stranger Danger didn’t seem surprised with his ice powers.
Three: Stranger Danger must be a mutant or be familiar with mutants. Meaning possible enemy.
Four: Sam never recalled having carpet when he was at T.A.T.M.A.H. the new generation must be spoiled.

His hands still raised he took a few steps back towards the bedroom door he exited. There was a big window with the park and woods underneath he could make an escape there. Question now was how to escape someone who could appear and disappear without opening a door. Did he phase or teleport. Both could be counter with extreme cold. However icing this hallway with other possible threats didn’t sound too appealing.

”Can you now? Good… got a few questions.” Sam said as he looked at the stranger. ”Why did I wake up naked? Where am I? And I don’t want to hurt anyone.” he took another slow step back hoping danger wouldn’t notice.

Sem paused, holding his hands up, and Gawain kept his distance. Good lord, Sam looked like a freaking teenager. And on top of that, more than a little confused. Did he not recognize the Mansion at all? If this was pre-Mansion Sam, Gawain needed to stay on top of the situation before it turned ugly.

>>”Can you now? Good… got a few questions. Why did I wake up naked? Where am I? And I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Gawain noted the steps back. Sam was not an idiot to walk into a trap.
Alright, quick and concise, then.

"This is Xavier's, a school and safe haven for mutants. You work here. The year is 2020. Some mutants have been returned to their younger selves, we don't yet know how, but it looks like you have been de-aged like them." he cleared his throat "My name is Gawain. We're friends. And please don't ask me why you woke up naked because I'm not sure I wanna know. Did you check if there was a woman in the bed?... Or two?..."

The now younger icemancer’s nostrils flared as he listened to the rapid bit of information about his life. Sam had heard about the school, he was planning on going there to hide; maybe get some rest instead of constantly running. He figured a school full of mutants could at least hid him from Agent Jackson and the stalk bots, not long but at least give him some R and R.

2020… nope, it was 2007 the camps were in New York, one of the main reasons he wasn’t planning on going to the Xavier school. He was doing enough running, no reason to give some mutant haters another target or run into more stalker bots. Sam’s hands lowered to his chest, still in a non-threating way, ”Haven’t changed much then have I?” Sam said pretending to believe danger named Gawain.

Patented fake smile now on his face Sam added, ”Might explain the eye patch though.” he knew that wasn’t a woman’s room. It was too plain. Sam’s eyebrows raised as he looked surprised in Gawain’s direction. ”Behind you!” it was something that rarely worked but he didn’t waist anytime spinning on his heel he turned and ran away from Gawain.

It didn’t make sense, there was too much information to process; his headache, waking up naked, the supposed 13 year time difference, Gawain and him were friends. Sam didn’t really have friends, at least not ones that would explain any situation to him. They’d just as soon stab him in the back than explain anything. Speaking of which, maybe Amanda was involved somehow. She did have the power give him headache.

This de-aging thing was getting real **** old. Gawain was terrified that one morning he would wake up with everyone else around him reverted to drama teens. Or even worse... waking up as a teen. With a pregnant girlfriend. Ugh.

>>”Haven’t changed much then have I?”

"You changed in some ways." he said with a smirk. Sam was still the same in some ways, but definitely a better, more mature person in others. He barely even drank anymore.

>>”Might explain the eye patch though... Behind you!”

It was the oldest trick in the book, but to be fair, Gawain was already rattled from this morning. He looked, just for a second, and by the time he realized his mistake Sam was bolting down the hallway.

"This is getting real old!" Gawain groaned, jumping into the nearest mirror, using the reflection in the window to cut Sam off, his hands still up to avoid looking like he wanted a fight. "Sam, stop! Dude, I'm trying to help... um... right, look. Your mom's name is Melissa. You have a little brother named Dom. You grew up in a cottage. And if you don't believe me, you... you gotta believe yourself, right? You made videos, in case you ever lost your memory. I have them. Please don't make me fight you, this building is full of kids..."

At least there was something that was old. This was all new to the icemancer but apparently this was a common occurrence at the mansion. Good to know if he every wanted a fresh start when he was old and grey (if he lived that long) most agents don’t make it more than a few years, he was lucky he was recruited at such a young age. If it weren’t for the fact that he was running for an escape he would have rolled his eyes.

Gawain appeared from the window. Was it glass? Was that how he jumped from point A to B? Sam quickly surveyed the hallway making notes on all the reflective surfaces. There were mirrors; the windows and even a few light fixtures had some sort of reflection. Sam mentally cursed and stopped again this time bringing his hands up in a stance. ”dude….” no one knew about his family or where he grew up. Except for his handler and those above him. This kid was not above Jackson. Few were. Even if he knew his mothers name and his brother and the small cottage in the mountains, Sam still had a safe skepticism. One of the reasons he made it this far.

”That does sound like something I would do.” he said still not lowing his hands. ”I’m not making you do anything.” he widened his stance and formed a small blade in his hand, a sharp one. ”You’re chasing me. I just want to find out why I woke up naked in a random place! I was in Canada yesterday and now you are telling me I’m in upstate New York? Unless I had a jet or a teleporter, did you see where I parked the Jet?”

Sam frowned, ”didn’t think so. So unless you can’t die and somehow stop me I’d like to leave.” Sam said his fist tightening on the blade already looking at a few crippling points on the reflection walkers body. ”and you had to mention the kids.” Sam didn’t like hurting anyone, at least unless they deserved it. Kids rarely did.

His nostrils flared as the room dropped a few degrees flashes of red in the shape of different adults and kids appeared in his line of sight all around him. The icemancer winced slightly one eye shutting for some reason. He took a step back sure the visions were going to attack, ”Are you using a telepath on me!?!”

>>”I’m not making you do anything. You’re chasing me."

"Because you're running away!" Gawain snapped, becoming frustrated with the whole thing. Teenage X-men were the absolute worst.
And karma, apparently, was at her bitchiest.

>>"I just want to find out why I woke up naked in a random place! I was in Canada yesterday and now you are telling me I’m in upstate New York? Unless I had a jet or a teleporter, did you see where I parked the Jet?”

Gawain opened his mouth for a response - the Jet is parked in the basement - but Sam did not give him time to get a word in. Maybe for the better. Maybe he should not tell the confused teenage assassin where the Jet was.

>>”didn’t think so. So unless you can’t die and somehow stop me I’d like to leave.”

"But..."

>>”and you had to mention the kids... Are you using a telepath on me!?!”

Gawain felt the chill in the air, and caught the blinks, as if Sam was seeing something he did not expect to. Gawain glanced around too, more cautiously, but no kids had wandered into the hallway just yet.

"No, Sam, you incredible idiot, you are my teacher." he groaned finally, running a hand through his hair "You taught me everything I know. And gave me a few black eyes. Are you seeing heat signatures? Because that's a part of your powers. Look, I really wanna help. How about I give you the flash drive with the videos? I'm not gonna keep you here against your will but you really should look at them."

The heat signatures dimmed the second time he shook his head. The knife shot up to cover if he was going to be attacked but when he lowered his guard he only saw Gawain still trying not to fight him. The forms of red no longer there, maybe they never were. Sam shook his head again making sure not to keep his eyes of Gawain.

What kind of fool would give him a job teaching? Sam tried not to laugh but a little chuckle escaped at the thought. Gawain continued to get in Sam’s head with the rest of the information, some seemed more likely than the him being a teacher though. ”You would look better with the black eyes, what did I teach you? Take a punch then? Why would someone give me a job teaching anything? Shit I know shouldn’t be taught.” he laughed again.

Sam lowered his guard and took another step backwards the knife still in his hand. Tilting his head, ”I don’t know if I believe you, but if you have the flash drive I might want to look at it. That does sound like something I would do. ” he didn’t trust that a mutant in a mansion in upstate New York was willing to help out of the goodness of their heart. But, if he had answers Sam needed them. If he didn’t like them he could still just bail. Not like Gawain could stop him.

”If you’re just trying to lure me into a trap hope I only give you black eyes.” his knife dissipated in his hand. ”I can make things way more deadly if I need to. I don’t plan on dying here.” Sam said folding his arms squinting at making sure not to have his back against anything reflective. ”and tell me more about these heat signatures. What else can I do?"

Sam looked a little surprised at the idea of being a teacher. Gawain didn't blame him. He could barely believe he a teacher now too either.

>>”You would look better with the black eyes, what did I teach you? Take a punch then? Why would someone give me a job teaching anything? Shit I know shouldn’t be taught.”

"Beats me, you were already here when I arrived" Gawain shrugged. Sam was a good teacher, even with all his personal issues. Someone must have seen that even before he himself did. A decade ago. Sh*t, had it really been that long?

>>”I don’t know if I believe you, but if you have the flash drive I might want to look at it. That does sound like something I would do.”

"Sure. I'll get it, and you can use the computer in your room." Gawain suggested. He was not sure Sam was not gonna bolt the moment he turned his back, but that was a risk he would just have to take.

>>”If you’re just trying to lure me into a trap hope I only give you black eyes. I can make things way more deadly if I need to. I don’t plan on dying here. And tell me more about these heat signatures. What else can I do?"

"Lots and lots of ice stuff." Gawain noted "Ice golems, ice armor, ice mirrors, ice fog... um. Also the heat vision. Your codename is Cold Steel. Believe me, I did not come up with that. I think you did. So... let's go get your flash drive."

Ice… of course. Sam could already do most of those. The mirrors didn’t make sense unless that was a skill he needed for Gawain. Maybe that was used in a combination attack if that was the case and Gawain and him did work together before. ”No, **** ice.” Sam said rolling his eyes and turning to head back to the room. He didn’t come up with the name Cold Steel it was decided for him along with his I.D. number tattooed on his body.

It took a few minutes to get back to the room where he woke up. Sam assumed it was his room or at least the room Gawain would claim that was his. He did wake up there, the only question now was the eye patch.

Going through the fridge and pulling out himself water he quickly scanned the window. It was locked but it didn’t matter if he need to that was his exit. There were no cameras that he could see and was made sure that there were no hidden rooms in the bedroom something that someone could jump out of. Other than just reflections.

The computer was the next thing he studied before Gawain returned. Sam wanted to make sure this wasn’t one of those things where he got fed false information, if Gawain was going to give him any information he wanted to make sure it was coming from his source not something that was planted previously, that’s how people slip up and in this case receive at least a black eye before he booked it.

”Took you long enough.” Sam pointed to the disk slot where Gawain could start things up. Sam got up from the chair and put himself closer to the window still sure he could see both the computer and Gawain. He wasn’t going to go easy.

Gawain was mildly surprised that Sam was still in his room when he returned with the discs. He could have easily left, either through a window, or even through the front door. De-aged kids were still new enough that most people just assumed they were regular students. Gawain was ready to track Sam down again if he needed to. He was not about to leave him alone, even if he did not want any help.

Booting up the computer, he inserted the disc and pulled up the video.

"Alright, so... I don't really know what's on there. But I trust you. I can leave if you'd rather watch it alone." he smirked, noting the bottle of water in Sam's hand. He had not been kidding about going sober, apparently. "In case... you know. It's your secret porn stash or something."

He was older but still easily recognized, it’s the same way you can tell of a photo of yourself from taken from a surveillance video. Older Sam looked rougher, beard shaggier hair and look in his eye he didn’t like seeing. Older Sam had given up, there was no fire in his eye. Also he had one eye. That explained the eye patch. Young Sam looked over to the eye patch and made a small scoff. There was no way he had lost an eye, he was too good for that. However something young Sam was surprised about was the fact he was able to see an older version of himself. He honestly thought he wouldn’t have lived that long.

”If you are watching this then I’m dead. Like screwed dead, dead dead…” Old Sam smirked and started to laugh, ”Naw, just kidding. That’s another tape. I did fake my death, though.” Old Sam said pointing to the screw off in a corner. It wasn’t directed to him, it was directed to whoever gave the person the video. ”Mirror, thank you for being a good friend and not watching this before giving the drive to me. New me.” he paused again, ”and if you watched this before that time then, screw you ***hat.” he shook his head and looked serious again.

”New Sam, I don’t know if it had to do with something Amanda did or another telepath or someone who can alter memories but congrats. You got a knew lease on life.” Old Sam’s motions started to become a little wobbly as his hand rose up and there was a bottle of cheap whiskey. He was drunk. Older Sam was a drunk. Young Sam looked to Gawain and frowned. ”Black eye.” he warned.

Older Sam took a swig and then added his composure back to serious as if he was trying to steady himself older Sam stood up yelled and then threw the bottle. The glass shattered in the background and the video cut out. ”Okay.” young Sam said not moving from where he was. ”Right or left eye?”

Young Sam was about to bolt when the audio started back up, the screen lit back up. ”Sorry about that.” older Sam said his voice sounding like he just woke up, ”I remembered why I was doing this.” Old Sam sniffed and wiped a tear from his eye.

”You hit a knew low, well me. Old you. Anyways, there is a good chance that I did this to you. We had a rough go when we were young and things got good at the mansion. Great even, you found friends, you became a teacher.” Old Sam leaned back smiling as if he was proud. ”The best teacher if I do say so myself. Self defense for kids, yeah kids. You ended up getting a lot of them out of trouble. You might have also caused a few to get into it as well. Isn’t that right Mirror?” Old Sam leaned back into his slouched posture his hands holding each other.

”Probably the best thing to happen to you. Ever. Taught you that you had a lot to learn as well, you even learned to love and more importantly be loved. Then Amanda decided to resurface.”
Old Sam leaned over and cracked a beer and let out a loud sigh. ”She’s stronger, more capable of ****ing our life up. She hit us where it hurt, at home. The mansion. You end up getting controlled, kidnapping a few students, the ones you are meant to protect and just like that.” Sam snapped.

The Icemancer took a long swig of the beer and shook his head, ”Worst is, when she controls you, man. You got the world. She gave you a wife and kids. It was paradise. Then, well you being you started to fight the control. When she figured out she couldn’t control you.” Sam finished the can and crushed it in his hands. ”The family you came to love and worship, one violent end after another and when everyone was dead you get to start over again” older Sam put his head in his hands and started to sob. ”You killed them.”

Young Sam watched as his older self started to openly weep, he found it weird for two reasons. One, Gawain was here and watching an older version of himself break down. Two, older Sam decided to film said break down and then trust no one would watch it until the intended party arrived. Meaning older Sam seemed to trust Gawain a great deal.

Older Sam sniffed again and leaned back in the chair his one eye red and cheek striped with tears. ”Even when you were rescued it wasn’t the same. Started when you slept, memories and visions of your family butchered. Eventually you don’t sleep, then you start getting angry, drinking. Even tried to kill yourself. Some hypocrite we are. Preach how there is always another option and then.”

Sam snapped, ”in this drive are files and accounts of most of what we did. I don’t know how long the time gap was but at least there is enough for you to get started. Build something for yourself and if you decide to stick around I know there are enough people here. Good people. They might be able to help. The reason we came to the mansion in the first place was to be better. Make up for the **** we did. I don’t know what you remember but I’m a fighter. Always was. Why I’m able to tell you this.”

”I’m sure it’s confusing but I couldn’t go on living like I was. Too much” older Sam waved his hands around his head and shook his head. ”I did what I had to so we could survive. You’d thank me trust me. Live you life.”

Young Sam watched as the screen went back to the folder after the video cut out. His nostrils flared. ”So… I got rid of my memories?” Sam’s mutation kicked up the cold to express his irritation.