Chapter 4

At the Institute...

With the sun just peeking over the horizon as it rises this morning Martha knocks on a certain door.

"Yo!" comes the shout from within.

Martha takes that as an invite to open it and she does into her son's and Bart's room but she only finds Bart...up surprisingly early for him. "Good Morning Bart."

"Morning Mrs K!" Bart greets her in his own inimitable cheeky style.

Martha's eyes go to her son's bed which has the distinct look of not being slept in. "Bart, did Clark not come home last night?" she asks.

"Not before I passed out. Why?"

"Because I haven't seen him this morning either," Martha says, her brow knotted in concern.

Bart looks at the older woman and feels a small knot in his stomach. Clark has been a bit...odd lately but usually he never ignores or tries to make his parents worry. It's not right for Clark. "I'm sorry Mrs K. Haven't seen him either. I...don't know what to say," he says slightly embarrassed he can't come up with anything. "I could go scour the town for him. Only take me a few minutes," Bart offers.

"No. No. I know you have your...thing this morning that you think you've kept a surprise."

Bart's eyes widen. "You know!"

Martha smiles wryly. "Bart it's my job to look out for all of you and you have to get up very early in the morning to get anything past me."

Bart can't help but admire the woman. It's not easy to get one up on the Fastest Man on Earth(Trademark Pending). "If you're sure..."

"I'm sure," Martha assures him. "Besides we both know Clark can take care of himself."

"That's true," Bart concedes.

"Have fun with your...surprise," Martha requests.

"I'm not sure fun is the right description from what I hear but it's just something I feel like I need to do," Bart says, sounding most serious for him.

Martha gives him a small smile of pride.

"I have to go. Wish me luck!" Bart says as he zips off.

"Good luck," Martha says after he has gone. She then tilts her head back a little and calls out. "Clark! If you can hear me a phone call would be nice just to know you're alright!" she tells him.

Bayville CSI Lab...

Clark can hear her just fine but he just can't answer her right now...and he'll apologise and make up for that. He swears. Right now he is trying to finish his tests on Pow-R8.

"We're running out of time," Maggie warns him, pacing about nervously, keeping watch.

"I know. I know," Superman acknowledges the problem. "Stupid human technology. Should have gone to the Fortress," he grumbles in complaint about the slowness involved.

"What?"

"Nothing. Alright. I think I'm getting there," he says.

Maggie stops.

Superman points at 3 test tubes in a rack in turn filled with blood samples he, ahem, borrowed from the Institute. "Human, x-gene, meteor," he explains what each one is. Ok the human one came from Detective Sawyer that she generously provided. He adds a few drops into each of a more concentrated sample of Pow-R8 than anyone would normally be exposed to. When it hits the X-gene one there is a very severe reaction from the cells, making a hissing sound. For the meteor one there is a less severe reaction and for the human one there is a very tiny, almost unnoticeable, reaction and that's only with a huge dose.

Maggie leans in and peers closer. "It is poisonous?" she asks him to confirm what they suspected when they started.

"To mutants in particular," Superman makes the point. "The so-called toxic eliminators cause a very severe allergic reaction," he explains what he has discovered. "To the meteor mutants less so but there's still a noticeable allergic reaction."

"And humans?"

"Not at first."

"Which means?"

"Well I don't have time to see it through but it seems to be bio-accumlative so my best guess is that eventually it would become toxic even to humans but that would take someone drinking it every day for weeks. My main concern right now is mutants."

"How bad?" Maggie wants to know what it'll do, what the ultimate conclusion of exposure is.

"When it gets above a certain threshold, a certain concentration in the body, at first it will cause their powers to go out of control."

Maggie purses her lips. Some mutants were insanely powerful. If they lost control... "You said at first. What happens next?"

"Repeated exposure will cause the cells to burn out and become unresponsive to any stimuli..." he trails off.

"It's fatal," Maggie summarises it. "The Morlocks?" she queries with worry. She spent time with that little girl, about the same age as her own little girl...it's too painful to imagine.

"They've been drinking a very watered down version which is why it's taken weeks to get this far. Stopping them drinking any more of the contaminated water is a start but it'll take weeks to wash out their systems without administering a proper anti-toxin and to make one I would need Spears' exact formula."

"He's not going to hand that over because you say so," Maggie argues.

"I did mention we would need an accredited scientist to verify my results," he reminds her. "Then you'll have the legal leverage to force him to hand over his formula or send the FDA down on his ass or worse."

"Worse?"

"In a concentrated enough form and vaporised it essentially become a poison gas...if I've done the calculations right."

"Poison to humans as well you said."

"Yeah but you could design it just to be concentrated enough so only mutants are afflicted."

"Whatever. That makes it a lethal weapon...an illegal one since we all agreed to outlaw stuff like that. So what other scientist are you going to go to to verify this?"

Superman looks at her with surprise. "I thought that was your part of this scheme."

"My part?! Are you joking?"

Superman's lips quirk.

"You're joking," she realises.

Superman laughs a little. "Sorry. Some days I just can't help myself."

"Try," Maggie advises him, not amused.

Superman begins packing up quickly. "You wanting to come with? It'll involve a flight."

"Flight where?"

"New York. I can't go to the X-Men because I gave my word to Callisto but I know a scientist or two who sorta owe me a favour though I never usually take them up on it but when we tell them about this I know they'll help."

"I was meaning to ask you about the whole flying thing."

"Have to wait," Superman says. "So come with?"

"Yes," Maggie agrees. It's her investigation so yes, she'll see it through. "Where are we going, exactly, though?" she asks as both head for the door hoping to sneak out before they're spotted.

"4 Freedoms Plaza."

Maggie almost loses her step. "4 Freedoms Plaza? But isn't that base of..."

Superman nods to show she is correct. "The Fantastic Four."

At the Institute...

Scott and Jean were heading for the sitting room just discussing a whole range of topics really. From how they were spending their day to some X-Men related work and who was next to return to Smallville to help Lilandra rebuild the community...once again. Jean is just about to push the door open when they hear her voice from inside the room.

"Hey has anyone seen Scott or Jean?" Kitty asks whoever else is in the room.

They know, because the Professor told them, that someone had to teach Kitty, that one of them can't avoid it this time and it's not going to be Jean. "Sorry," she says. "It's either you or me...and it's not going to be me," she tells him as she uses her powers to lift Scott off the floor and levitates him toward the door.

"No, wait, Jean..." Scott desperately protests, helplessly caught in his girlfriend's telekinetic grip.

"Sorry, honey. I love you," she blows him a kiss as she flings him through the door.

"Oh hey Scott!" Jean can hear Kitty greet him. "I was just looking for you."

Jean backs off and turns round...only to almost bump straight into Domino, dressed in her black uniform. "Hey Dom! Morning!" she says, her voice a little too high pitched and squeaky.

Domino folds her arms across her chest. "Morning," she returns flatly, looking Jean over from top to bottom.

"What are you looking at?" Jean asks, feeling slightly uncomfortable from being under the monochrome mutant's intense gaze.

"Well lets face it it's not a secret you and Emma have a rivalry going, right?"

"I suppose not," Jean concedes with a frown at hearing Emma's name mentioned.

"Well from what I just saw you have no worries about her stealing Scott from you because in the contest of who is the bigger bitch she comes a distant second."

Jean does not respond to that instantly but slowly her lips curl up into a self-satisfied smile. "Your damn right she does," she says, before striding off with a confident, swaying stride that screams 'Beware the bitch!'.

Dom arches an eyebrow. Who knew that under all that properness there was the bitch from hell in there. Remind her never to cross Jean.

A few moments later the door flies open as Kitty, literally, drags Scott along to take her out in his car for a driving lesson. A Scott who looks like a dead-man walking.

"Hey Dom!" Kitty greets her.

"Kitty, Scott," Dom greets them both, trying hard not to laugh. Though she has to say since Kitty joined 'womanhood' there has been a bit of a more confident, assertive person striding through the nerdy Jewish exterior. Dom liked it.

"Dom," Scott greets her before mouthing 'Help me!'

'Not a chance,' Dom mouths back. "Well I have a DR session to oversee," she mentions loudly so not to give Scott any opening of weaselling his way out of it and dumping it on her. "Have fun!" she waves them off.

"We will!" Kitty promises as she drags Scott away.

Scott makes a few gestures with his hands which Dom interprets to mean he's vowing revenge. Let him try.

Dom chuckles as she turns and resumes her path for this morning. She's helping oversee the New Mutants' DR session. Joining her this morning is Banshee as the 'troops' march into the circular room. Havok, Forge, Wolfsbane, Magma, Jubilee, Betsy, Multiple, Husk and a certain Scarlet Witch who, by the way, no way in hell was wearing one of those New Mutant uniforms. Wanda wore her simple costume of red vest, black jeans and boots with her scarlet coat on top.

Apparently this is how it goes now. Upon return Wanda has to start at the bottom again with the New Mutants is now the rule so she was told...or the Professor has a crueller sense of humour than she thought possible if he was lying to her. Truth is Wanda didn't really argue or complain...much. It's odd but she just feels like she is in a place now where she can accept these things without exploding in a rage. It feels like a better place than where she started when she first came here.

Dr Strange was really good at helping her find her calm centre, which she needs if she is ever going to reign her emotionally linked powers in and she is so very, very grateful for everything Dr Strange did to aid her. Course that doesn't mean she is any closer to forgiving either her father or brother because she's so not.

And yes she does have a calm centre before anyone makes the joke. Admittedly it took awhile to find but she has one!

"So ready to get back into the groove Broom-Hilda?" Dom asks with a new joky nickname for Wanda.

Wanda's response is a melt-steel glare she is so infamous for.

Banshee checks his watch. "We'll start in a minute when our new recruit arrives."

"What new recruit?" Havok asks, slightly irritated. He's the leader of this motley crew and he should know about these things.

"Sometimes, lad, ye just have t' deal with th' unexpected," Banshee says in his usual cheerful Irish tones.

The door opens and a blue/yellow blur streaks in and comes to a stop beside Jubilee, his arm over her shoulder. "Ta da!" he proclaims his presence.

"Bart?" Jubilee queries, caught by complete surprise at seeing her boyfriend. He never told her he was doing this.

"That's my name...I think," he corrects himself with a brief gaze upward because he only thinks it's his name. It's the one that resonates most in his head but he can't actually be 100% sure with his missing memory and all.

Jubilee puts an arm around his waist and squeezes supportively making him smile. "So when did you decide to join in?" she wonders.

Bart shrugs. "After last week in Smallville. It just...Lionel used me before and I think what happened is partly my fault," he blames himself.

"No Bart," Jubilee feels she has to refute that, shaking her head vigorously. She won't let Bart blame himself. "Nobody but that stupid jerk is responsible."

Bart purses his lips, showing he doesn't 100% agree with his girlfriend on this occasion. "Maybe...but point is I've never been involved in anything that...big before and at times..." he shakes his head and lowers his voice, "I felt so far out of my depth. I was scared Jubes. Scared I'd screw up...again and people would die...again," he says with shame over the whole mess he made when he worked for Lionel. People died then too and Bart does feel responsible.

"I was afraid too Bart," she whispers truthfully to him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of," she tries to assure him, trying not to let him beat himself down.

"But you train for it, you train to cope...and look, I don't know where my life is heading but if anything like that happens again I want to be ready to help you guys," he gives his probably poorly expressed explanation of what made him think of doing this.

Jubilee smiles warmly at him, her blue eyes sparkling with care. She places a finger under his chin and tilts his head round to face her where she kisses him gently on the lips.

Bart's eyes widen in surprise for a moment but damn her lips are so warm and soft and inviting. You know for him the world moves terribly slow but Jubilee's kisses are the one thing that always seems too fast, even for him.

Jubilee pulls back, licking her lips in a sensual manner. "So joining the team?"

Bart coughs to clear his throat. Dayum she can kiss. "Yeah...but I've got to complain...these uniforms," he complains, gesturing at the standard blue and yellow New Mutants outfits, making a face of dislike.

"I know, I know," Jubilee agrees with him, rolling her eyes. "They blow big time. I keep complaining but no-one's listening," she aims that last bit at her instructors.

"Sorry what?" Dom asks, her lips in a cheeky grin.

"Aye lass, didn't catch that," Banshee says, joking the same as Dom. Of course they heard it. They're pretending not to.

"See what we have to live with?" Betsy holds her hands out in their instructors' direction.

"Yeah. Ye might want tae change your mind about this," Rahne suggests.

Bart looks at Jubilee, a clear hint of pride in him in her eyes and knows he can't let her down. "Nope. I'm here to stay," Bart insists.

"Alright then," Domino says, a tiny sadistic gleam in her eyes, showing that she really is related to Logan because he gets that look too. "Here's today's simulation..."

In the kitchen Evan was just finishing his breakfast before his big day. A good night's sleep had seemed to fix his control problem just like he thought. He is chugging down a glass of milk...followed by another. Man he always has a craving for it, due to the amount of calcium he has to replace that is used up when he makes his spikes but this morning his thirst is far worse than normal.

"Hey Evan!" Ray calls from across the table. "Stop zoning out man. How about sharing some of that milk?"

Evan pauses and blinks, not even realising he had zoned out. He pushes the carton across the table...only to jerk his hand back when he spots the back of it covered in small bony spikes.

"Thanks," Ray says, not noticing Evan's issue.

Evan picks up his bowl and looks to place it away in the dishwasher, pulling his spikes back in...successfully this time. 'Not today. Not today,' he mutters in his head. He can't have this today. Not with his competition.

"Hey you better get going for your skateboarding competition," Ray says, nodding in the direction of the clock. "It'll start soon."

"Damn," Evan swears at himself. He hadn't realised it was that late.

"Don't sweat it man," Ray says because it's not too late.

"I have to sign in," Evan explains his rush as he heads for the door, pushing his power problems out of his mind for the moment in his haste to get to the skate-park.

"Alright. I'll see you there!" Ray shouts after him. Several of the students, including Ray, were going to go and cheer Evan on.

4 Freedoms Plaza...

Superman lands on the roof and places Detective Sawyer down after carrying her here all the way from Bayville.

Maggie puts her hand to her head and takes some deep breaths. That was...uh, something. She's never flown like that before. "So...so what now?"

"We wait. They have this place alarm triggered. You know all the villain attacks," Superman explains and he and her have no doubt set them off.

Maggie composes herself and a roof hatch in front of them starts to open, the two halves sliding back and a flying human shaped flame comes soaring out. The Human Torch, Johnny Storm.

Following on behind swiftly, being levitated up on an invisible forcefield are the rest of the Fantastic Four. The elastic Mr Fantastic, Reed Richards. The invisibility and forcefield generating Invisible Woman, Susan Storm and finally the rocky Thing, Ben Grimm all dressed in their blue costumes with the number 4 on them.

"Superman!" Susan greets him warmly with a wide smile, remembering him fondly from their previous encounter.

"Dr Storm," Superman greets her back.

Susan makes a face. "Susan please," she requests to be called. "Dr Storm reminds me too much of my mother," she complains...and there's a whole story there of why she doesn't want to be associated with her mother.

"My apologies. How are you?"

"I'm good, thank you," Sue replies, delighted by the politeness. Boy could he give Johnny lessons. "Yourself?" she returns the query.

"I've had better days."

"So what brings you here?" Sue asks, feeling that him being here is probably related to his last remark.

"We need your help," Superman explains. "And this is Detective Maggie Sawyer, Bayville's Special Crimes Unit," he introduces her. "We're working together on a case."

Johnny flames off and strides up to Maggie, the same never lost cocky smile on his face. "Detective Sawyer, always a pleasure to assist a fine woman of the law," he blatantly flirts with her.

Susan rolls her eyes automatically at her younger brother's antics.

"Cool off flame-brain," Ben chides the younger Storm.

"I'm working so expect nothing but a professional relationship, Mr Storm," Maggie says in her best intimidating, authoritative cop voice...and it's not just because she isn't interested in the male gender. She is working and she would never do that on the job.

"Quite right too," Reed says. "So what is it you need our help with?" he asks curiously.

"Can we go inside," Superman suggests. "It's a bit of a story but basically a lot of lives are at risk."

That sobers them up, even Johnny.

"Certainly," Reed says. "This way," he asks them to follow.

Bayville Sewers...

Callisto walks from one bed to the next checking on her sick. Most were sleeping, too weak to remain awake. She walks over to Healer, sitting in a chair watching over them. Thanks to the medicine Superman got he had been able to have a proper rest last night and Callisto could instantly see the difference. He looked stronger and healthier. "How are they doing?" she asks.

"Stabilised. Using the bottled water and the medicine Superman got has stopped them getting any worse," Healer reports.

A small relieved smile comes to Callisto's face. "I suppose I'll have to thank him."

"You're attracted to him," Healer says suddenly.

Callisto's one good eye widens substantially. "W-what?!" she splutters, her cheeks feeling a little warm. "Where did you get that idea?!"

"I'm partially empathic, remember. It's how I know what's wrong with someone when I heal them," he explains, so in a sense he felt what she feels.

"I'm...no. I'm not attracted to him! He's annoying and doesn't do what I ask of him," Callisto argues in denial.

"He brings food and clothing regularly, treats us with equal dignity and respect and when he finds the time stays and plays with the children and has stuck to his word since the day he found out about us...which you never expected. He's calm, gentle and debates you down with a kind, sympathetic logic which made you respect him even if you'll never admit it."

"So he's slightly better than most top-worlders. That doesn't mean I'm attracted to him!" Callisto denies. Ok so yeah, she may secretly enjoy their debates...or even just the little talks they have now and again. He's a smart, funny and surprisingly insightful guy and she doesn't get to have conversations like that often but that doesn't mean she likes him.

"You think his smile is pretty."

"When did I say that?"

"Last night. In your sleep. And oh you want to kiss his dimples apparently," Healer says with a teasing smile. He doesn't get a chance to do this very often so always makes the most of the opportunities when he can.

Callisto opens her mouth but she's got nothing.

Healer signals for her to sit down next to him, deciding he's had enough fun, which she does. "Callisto, there's nothing wrong in accepting you're a woman with needs," he says with sage wisdom, his voice gentle and understanding.

"I...my needs have not been important. Not since..." she trails off, her fingers feeling along the scars on her face. "It would never work. He doesn't belong down here. I know that."

"Sometimes all we can do is to grab a moment's happiness when presented with the chance and you have to consider this. Is a moment better than nothing? For me a moment's happiness is enough to sustain you for a lifetime."

"Voice of experience Healer?"

"The experience of an old man who knows what he is talking about."

"Yeah, well, what if he doesn't want to share that moment of happiness with me?"

"That's his choice...his loss. You cannot control the actions and minds of others. A lesson you learned painfully I'm very sorry to remind you of."

"I've learned to live with it," Callisto says, her voice drained of emotion. She brushes her hair back. "This is not the time nor place to talk about my love life."

"Well at least you're admitting you're open to having one."

Callisto gives Healer a withering look. "I...I don't have time for any sort of relationship," she tries and shuts this conversation down.

"Callisto just because we live down here doesn't mean we should shut ourselves off from the possibility of happiness. We're still human with all the same wants and desires. Myself included."

"Not having this conversation," she sort of sing-songs, trying hard not to imagine Healer in the situation he is implying. That's disturbing imagery. "Besides. More important things to do," she tells him.

"Like?"

"Skateboarding competition."

Healer looks at Callisto in puzzlement.

"Superman. He mentioned something about a skateboarding competition giving away free samples of that Pow-R8 poison so I looked into it. That Spears is sponsoring it and he is billed to be there in attendance personally," she informs Healer, a gleam of possible vengeance in her eye.

"Callisto...you told Superman you'd stay out of trouble," Healer reminds her of something she told him.

"Ah but I'm not causing the trouble. Spears and his poison is. Therefore by stopping him I'm stopping the trouble," she argues.

"You should have been a lawyer," Healer says with a sad resignation that he won't stop her. Nothing could when she set her mind to something.

"Guess I missed my calling," Callisto says with a shit eating grin.

Author's Note: I've been thinking for awhile about getting Bart started on joining in and I thought the events of the last story were justification enough to have motivated his mindset. It's a step along the road for the future Flash. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; X-treme Measures part 5 as the skateboarding competition begins.