Hank silently stepped through the front door only to be greeted by Rogue and Gambit. The Cajun gave a witty smile as he placed a hand around her waist.

"Where 'ave you been, Beast? We expected you to be back here a long time ago," Gambit mused.

"I was over at the park again, checking things out. It took me a little longer than before to get there," Hank replied.

He hesitated for he wasn't certain if he should mention about his new acquaintance. He wasn't sure how they would react to someone who seemed so street smart. After a few seconds, Hank inwardly kicked himself for he remembered several of his team mates were just like her.

"What's wrong Beast? I've never seen you so quiet about this. Has something happened, sugah?" wondered Rogue.

"Nothing is wrong Rogue, I just have a lot on my mind right now. Now if you'll excuse me," Hank told them.

He moved around them and began to make his way to his room. The two watched him leave before Gambit stepped forward, crossing his arms and giving a smirk.

"Dat's odd for Beast. Wonder wat's got his fur in a knot," he said.

"Yeah, you're right. I know he's eager to find out who's behind these attacks and see if they're working for anyone," Rogue agreed. "Perhaps he's working too hard on it."

Gambit nodded in agreement as they watched Hank McCoy head down the hallway, both wondering what was going through his mind.

00000

Hank McCoy stepped through the door and sat on his bed. His thoughts wandered back to the day's events and to Katastrophe. She appeared to be very intelligent and outgoing, despite her appearance.

'The Fatina Café at 11 tomorrow? Definitely works for me,' he thought.

00000

It was creeping along much too slowly for Hank as he patiently waited at a table for his new companion. His two main worries was that he would be noticed as a mutant once again and that Katastrophe, otherwise known as Katherine, would not show up. He stirred the spoon in his mug of coffee, taking a moment before noticing movement beside him. Glancing up, he Hank saw that she had indeed arrived.

"It's good to see you again," he told her.

"I'm glad you showed up. For a moment, I didn't think you were going to come," Katherine mused.

Hank smiled as she sat in the chair. The waitress soon arrived to take her order and he watched the entire conversation. After the woman had left, Kat turned back toward Hank and returned the smile he was giving.

"You are different than most people I've met. A lot of people want to tear me apart simply because I look different," she told him.

"Probably because I have similar problems to what you have. I find it difficult to move around sometimes, despite the fact I'm well known as a doctor," Hank replied.

Katherine carefully watched him as he continued to talk, engrossed with what he was saying. A smile crept onto her face as she quickly realized that all he wanted was to be friends. After a few moments, he stopped and looked at her with a toothy grin, which she returned.

"So…do you go out often?" she finally asked.

"I do try. Sometimes, it isn't easy to with the appearances," he told her.

She gulped down the last of her drink before climbing to her feet. She watched Hank as he sat in the chair.

"I find it's getting too crowded in here. Would you like to go for a walk?" she asked him.

Hank couldn't help but smile as he stood up and followed her out the door. They started their way down the street.

"Listen, I keep hearing rumours about you and the others. Are any of them true?" she asked.

Hank thought for a moment, as he thought about the ones that even he remembered hearing before shaking his head.

"Out of the ones that I know, none whatsoever. What I would like to know is more about you. Where are from? Have you any family?" replied Hank.

Katherine gave a smile as she heard the questions pour out of his mouth and wondered for a split second about what she was planning to do in the hopes for a real friend. She quickly looked around before pulling Hank into a nearby alley and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hank, I have no family. Every last one of them abandoned me by the time I finished changing. Where I've been no longer matters now that I've met you," she purred into his ear.

Hank wondered if anyone could tell that he was blushing underneath his blue fur. He gently grasped her arms and removed them. Katherine backed into the nearby wall, her stare aimed towards the ground.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have said that," she apologized.

"You're young yet. Now, where were we going again?" Hank replied.

Kat gave him a smile as he stepped out and began to walk down the street once more. She quickly followed him. As they continued their walk, a question popped into his mind. He glanced back at Katherine, the curiosity getting the better of him.

"May I walk you home?" Hank finally asked.

Katherine grinned at the question, almost as if she were expecting it.

"I'm afraid not. I'm currently staying with a friend. She wouldn't want me to bring home fellow mutants for she doesn't want to be discovered to be harbouring me. It's only temporary and I know I'll soon be back on the streets," Katherine explained.

Hank thought about what she said for a moment. A small smiled crossed his face as an idea popped into his head.

00000

"Do you realize what you're proposing, Hank? You just met this woman," Wolverine demanded.

"Yes, I do. I'm requesting that we help someone who needs it, a fellow mutant even. I'm not suggesting we bring her here. At least not yet, if at all. I realize that would be a security risk for all of us," Hank explained.

The others were also gathered with the room, all carefully watching Hank in the midst of his proposal.

"I don't like the looks of this Hank. For all we know, she could be the one behind the attacks," Cyclops told him.

"I might be able to tell if she were there or not if I had a good sniff of her. I can at least tell you that field absolutely reeked of someone's scent," Wolverine put in.

Hank gave a deep sigh as he returned each of the stares upon him. His attention landed upon the professor, who had a stern glare upon his face.

"I don't think she's the one though. I mean, she did come to my rescue against the mob and she appeared to take a partiality to me almost immediately," Hank explained.

Xavier gave a deep sigh as he slowly shook his head. Hank nodded, understanding what he was being told, simply not having a fondness for it.

"Then I shall go explain to her your decision. Now, if you'll excuse me," Hank finally said.

The group watched him go before Cyclops turned back to the professor. A worried stare had crossed his face.

"What was that all about, Professor? I've never seen him like this about someone he just met," he asked.

"It may be something that none of us truly understand, Scott, since our powers aren't as obvious to the general public. He may have taken a liking to her as a friend since she apparently has something in common with him: the physical appearance. We just may see him demonstrate further things that we aren't expecting to see from him," Xavier explained.

He carefully watched Hank walk down the hallway as he spoke, hoping that he wasn't getting himself into a heap of trouble. He slowly turned his attention back to the others and gave a deep sigh.

TBC…