"You two know each other?" Craven looked between the two women in confusion.

"I thought I did," Monique glared. "But I was clearly wrong."

"Monique, I don't know what happened with you two," Nick began.

"No, it's alright." Luna assured as she got to her feet, still gingerly touching her nose. "I deserved that. I guess I should have at least left with a resignation notice."

"Resignation notice." Monique scoffed. "You left without any word."

"Okay!" Elise interrupted. "Could one of you explain what you're talking about?"

"Well," Luna began reluctantly. "Monique and I… we were both agents in the DGSE. That is, until I decided to leave."

"And left without notifying anyone." Monique glowered. "She just disappeared one day without any warning whatsoever."

"I couldn't stay." Luna replied simply.

"That's no excuse." Monique challenged.

"But it's an honest one. I suppose I just wasn't cut out for being a good soldier, like you are. I can't follow orders that go against what I believe in. That's why I left."

"And what orders were so impossible for you to follow?"

"Monique, if you have to ask, you'll never understand." For a long moment, the two women stood looking at one another, Luna's expression stern and serious, while Monique's was furious and unforgiving. But then, Aaron broke the tension.

"Luna, perhaps you should head down to Utopia's hot springs to relax for a bit. You've had a very long journey."

"Thank you, Aaron. That does sound like a good idea." With that, Luna left the group with Bamboo following her closely. Once they were gone, Aaron turned back to H.E.A.T. with a smile.

"Now then," he spoke. "I suppose you'd like to be shown around, and ask some questions?"

"As I explained earlier," Aaron spoke as he showed H.E.A.T. through Utopia, "Every member of Utopia, when they come of age, is partnered to a young mutant. We always have a ceremony to partner the two together. Speaking of which, it's actually quite fortunate that you came around when you did. We're holding one of the ceremonies tonight. As you've all learned, it's very difficult for full-grown mutants to adhere to this society. The older they are, the more they grow to distrust humans. That's why we always select mutants who were born in Utopia, or were found orphaned young. It's the young who are the most trusting, after all. Once human and mutant become symbiotic partners, they go through their lives relying on each other. They become life-long allies, sharing a bond nothing can break. Protecting and sustaining each other."

"So, all the mutants here have been here from birth?" Craven asked, watching as a teenage Utopian female gathered some fruit from a nearby tree with the help of a mutant gazelle.

"Yes, with the exception of Bamboo. He was found outside Utopia."

"Aaron, it sounds like you take mutants and purposely try and change their natural behavior." Elsie challenged. "It's like walking into the woods and taking some bear cubs to raise them as pets."

"In all due respect, Dr. Chapman, our primitive ancestors performed similar acts with wolves and wild horses. And now it's hard to imagine our lives without the descendants of those animals. And we don't take mutants who have packs or family groups. Only those who have been orphaned, and would die if we don't take them. Furthermore, the mutants in Utopia are not treated as pets. It's a symbiotic existence. Both mutant and human benefit from interacting. We work together to grow and harvest all the food in Utopia. And the younger symbiotic partners play together." As Aaron continued the tour of Utopia, a sudden happy bark rang out. The group had come to a small collection of pools that held a vast assortment of fish. Over by one of the pools, Luna and Bamboo, who was now back to full size, were wading around in the water, working together to gather some of the fish. After a brief moment, Bamboo thrust his head into the water and came up with two fish in his jaws. Luna laughed and hugged the mutant panda, who let out a contented growl.

"Aaron?" Nick spoke up, watching Luna with Bamboo. "I was wondering. Could you tell us the story with those two?"

"Luna and Bamboo? What about them?"

"You said that Bamboo was not raised in Utopia like the other mutants, but he acts as harmless as the friendliest dog. I just wanted to understand how you managed to take a mutant and make it that docile. "

"I understand." Aaron smiled in the direction of the two in question. "That story occurred quite a few years ago, when Luna and I were en route to Utopia from this place up in Alaska, transporting an orphaned mutant salamander egg. We unfortunately, or rather fortunately, had to stop for a moment at this seedy establishment, to restock on food and supplies."

Flashback

Aaron filled his and Luna's packs with food the attending bartender had given them, while Luna offered some money in return, one hand poised above the simple dagger that hung from her belt, ready to use it if things got rough. The patrons, however, seemed to be too wrapped up in some event in the far end of the bar to pay heed to a pair of young twenty-something travelers.

"Right, I think that does it." Aaron announced, slinging his pack over his shoulder and handing Luna hers. "Best get going." Moments before they exited, however, a sudden bark was heard; too loud to have come from a common animal. Aaron and Luna immediately turned to the direction of the bark, which had come from the middle of the shouting crowd of drunken men. "Luna, wait!" Aaron called to his friend, who was already making her way over to identify the source of the bark. Relenting, Aaron followed her as the Asian girl forced her way to the front of the spectators. In doing so, the duo discovered what appeared to be some kind of dog fight going on. However, one of the combatants was by no means a dog.

"Oh!" Aaron gasped. "That's a mutant giant panda!" Sure enough, the second participant in the dog fight was a mutant panda. The characteristic black and white coat was caked with what looked like dried blood, and patches of fur were completely missing around its neck, revealing painful-looking scars lining the exposed skin, apparently from a chain that had been wrapped tightly around the mutant's neck. It was perfectly clear that the mutant panda had received cruel and inhumane treatment in the past. Small wonder that the poor creature appeared monstrous. Aaron and Luna watched in disgust as the battle between the mutant panda and the Rottweiler went on; teeth and claws ripping and tearing. But then, to everyone's amazement, the panda stopped fighting, and stood completely still. Almost instantly, Aaron realized that the mutant was looking right at Luna, almost as if it was in a trance.

"Stupid beast!" One of the men, who had been watching the fight, strode forward, brandishing an iron pole. "Quit standing there and fight!" The mutant panda paid no head to the rants of the man, and continued to stare at Luna. As a result, the man brought the iron pole down over the mutant's head, knocking it to the ground. However, the mutant panda showed no sign of fighting back, and just lied numbly on the sawdust covered ground, allowing the iron pole to crash down on him, again and again.

"STOP!" Aaron couldn't help but jump slightly at Luna's shout, as she charged forward and planted herself between the mutant panda and its tormenter, her dagger drawn and pointed at the man's throat. "Touch this poor creature again, and I swear I will kill you."

Aaron's jaw dropped as he watched his friend threaten this man. In all the years he'd known her, he'd never once heard Luna speak with so much anger radiating off her. The Asian girl was completely serious. She really would kill that man if he harmed the mutant further. The rest of the crowd seemed to sense this as well, for they immediately began to back away. As for the man, he tossed the iron pole aside, visibly shaken from the cold honesty in Luna's face.

"Good. Now, get out." Luna ordered. One-by-one, the crowd dissipated, not one man wishing to evoke the wrath of this dangerous young woman. Once the crowd had gone, Luna tuned and knelt at the mutant panda's side. All traces of anger had vanished from her face, and she was now stroking the mutant's fur with a gentle hand. "Aaron?" Luna turned to her friend, her face filled with concern for the beaten mutant. "Could you pass me your canteen?" Aaron shook off his shock at the rapidly changing mood of his friend, and passed her the canteen. Luna immediately set to work, using the contents of the canteen to wet a clean scarf from the supply bag, and gently cleaning the mutant panda's wounds. All the while, Luna spoke soothing, caring words to the mutant, who still would not take its eyes off of her.

End Flashback

"That mutant," Aaron concluded, "became known as Bamboo. We brought him back here, and Luna spent all her time caring for him. Once he regained full strength, Bamboo began following Luna everywhere. He's never left her side since, not once. It was like that story from Welsh mythology. Owain, who would become one of King Arthur's knights, once came across a dragon attacking a white lion. Owain assisted the lion to kill the dragon. The lion was grateful to Owain, and since then followed him like a shadow. It was the same with Luna and Bamboo. I never figured out what exactly made Bamboo stop fighting that night, and I probably never will. But I suppose the true reason doesn't really matter. What does matter is, so far in my life, I've only seen two instances when a mutant who wasn't raised in Utopia take to a human. This was one of them."

"What was the other?" Elsie asked. Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"I thought that would be obvious." He replied. Wordlessly, Aaron lifted up a hand, gesturing to Nick.