Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High or X-Men.

Read on, oh faithful ones...

Title: Xavier's Institute for the (Sky High) gifted

Taken from the idea on Tumblr that Sky High is the public school version of Xavier's Institute.

...

Obviously, Steve and Josie send Will to their alma mater, no question about it.

Layla, of course, follows her best friend (though her mother does offer Xavier's, and Professor X himself seems keen to have Layla and her powers on his side; he'd even offered a scholarship to Layla that she was 90% sure hadn't existed five minutes ago).

Warren is offered a scholarship as well, but he doesn't have any best friends to follow to public school, and if he can spare his mother the sky high tuition, he'll take it. Not to mention, no one at Xavier's Institute even thinks Maxville or his father's attempted takeover to be that impressive. They've got their own villains on a global scale to worry about, after all.

Up at Sky High, Will has fallen hard and fast for Gwen, Layla doesn't have her best friend, and she really, really hates the dichotomy between Heroes and Side- Hero Support. Sure, it's life and life isn't always fair, but... she can't help but think of Xavier's Institute where this shift in power and balance probably wouldn't exist.

Will forgetting their dinner date to spend time with Gwen is the second-to-last straw, and Will going with Gwen to Homecoming is the definite last straw. There's no more straws when Will has a party and doesn't invite her. That night, holding back her tears, Layla asks her mother if she can transfer to Xavier's Institute, and she's there by the end of the week. She doesn't even hear about Homecoming until a week later when Magenta texts her to let Layla know that Gwen was actually Royal Pain. Oh, and by the way, Will asked her out after saving the school; since Layla wasn't at Sky High anymore, she'd be okay with them dating, right?

At Xavier's Institute, Warren's working on his anger issues and as he doesn't have to live up or down to his father's image, he's handling it much better than he would have at Sky High. Hell, he might've even attacked Will Stronghold for a stupid reason by now. He studies hard to keep his scholarship and works on his powers with Professor X and Magneto (who is currently good again? Warren doesn't care, though he can't help but roll his eyes when Professor X and Magneto end up staring at each other again instead of focusing on his lesson). Seeing Cyclops and Wolverine helps his anger issues more than anything else, and despite their polar opposite powers, Warren finds himself befriending Bobby, aka Iceman. He loathes Pyro on sight: the obnoxious kid reminds him far too much of his father, and in the months to follow, there's nothing about his fellow classmate that makes Warren want to reconsider his first impression of him.

Warren still has his job at the Paper Lantern because - as Mrs. Woo likes to point out loudly and often - he needs to get his head out of the clouds. The pay goes towards a few science-type things for his new gloves that are being designed; he can channel his fire-wielding power into a literal flamethrower now, and the gloves will help with both his control and accuracy. Hopefully.

A month before the end of the year, Xavier's Institute receives a transfer student from Sky High. It's rare that anyone transfers this late in the school year, so all of the students are restless and curious. Their teachers have all but given up on teaching them today, and most of the students are pressed up against the windows to await the new student's arrival. (A few students are hovering, while Kitty has phased halfway through the wall instead.)

The new student arrives and a dropped pin could echo inside the school. Outside, however, several plants grow taller, the flower bushes that line the edge of the school shake out their dead leaves and regrow new green leaves in an instant, and even the grass suddenly seems greener. Noise returns in the form of excited whispers, Kitty calls out dibs on her new best friend, and the new girl turns in surprise at the shout. Kitty's obviously forgotten that she's outside of the wall again and she quickly ducks back inside before Professor X can reprimand her. The redhead just smiles and the plants brighten and straighten up immediately. Warren wonders if it's in response to her smile or if it's just her power.

Layla spends two weeks getting used to her new school, the people, and is a little surprised to see that Warren Peace is another student at Xavier's Institute. He seems more at ease here than he ever had when she'd seen him in Maxville, and Layla hopes she'll find her own place here as well.

Layla excels in her work and progresses through her power lessons at a phenomenal speed. She's had perfect control over her power since she was seven (except for lemons), always downplaying her power so that Will wouldn't feel bad. Within a month, Layla's moved from initial exercises and tests onto the harder control and power enhancement. Warren is another student on this level, and Layla's almost as nervous to work with him as she is with Professor X himself.

Professor X seems to always put Warren and Layla together when there's any teamwork involved (and sometimes, even when there isn't). Due to this, they get to know each other through their powers and fighting techniques before they really learn about the other properly. Their verbal fights become legendary at Xavier's Institute, though most students are just waiting for them to snap and kiss already.

It's just another day when Warren and Layla end up in another verbal fight, but this time it goes too far. Warren reveals what everyone knows but no one talks about: Layla's father is 'Black Tom' Cassidy, the supervillain.

Layla doesn't leave her room for the rest of the week, vines and trees and all size and shape of plant blocking everyone from entering, even Professor X.

Warren blasts his way in, frustrated and annoyed at himself more than anything. Mrs. Woo had chewed him out when he told her (in vague terms) what had happened, and he was still smarting from her verbal tongue lashing. He finds Layla in the centre of the tropical rainforest her room has become, his body aflame to stop the roses from attacking again, and he apologises.

Layla finally looks up at him and in a quiet voice - something he's not sure he'll ever get used to because Layla is just as stubborn and hotheaded as he is and quiet is definitely not the adjective he'd use to describe her - she accepts his apology. It tastes like ash, but at least the roses seem less inclined to attack him now. Warren powers down and gives her a small grin, stating they have something in common now. Layla's snort of disbelief shouldn't be as endearing as it is, but Warren's finding he's powerless when it comes to Layla.

"No offence, Peace, but I'd rather have anything else in common with you."

"Even the leather jacket?" he teases.

Layla rolls her eyes. "Jerk."

"Hippie."

No one's surprised when Layla and Warren decide to team up on graduating from Xavier's Institute.

Back in Maxville, Jetstream and the Commander are secretly terrified that this new duo will overtake them, but Layla and Warren have their sights set on a more global scale and Maxville will no longer be enough for them. Perhaps it never was.

...

The end.

Thanks for reading!

Notes: 'Black Tom' Cassidy being Layla's father fits because her mother obviously didn't have her power, and Layla's father was never mentioned, yet Nurse Spex stated that a kid's superpowers can only come from their parents.