I.

Lily Madison spooned a large hunk of strawberry ice cream into her mouth, letting it melt slowly, savoring the ripe strawberries and fresh cream, before turning to her companions, Kiana Asahara, Vanessa Wallace, and Gaia Sophronia. They had arrived in Snow Valley about an hour ago, and she insisted that their first stop be Icy Delight, the same ice cream parlor Tom Corsi had brought her to after her unannounced arrival.

The headmasters of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters released the student body for the day, allowing them to travel about without supervision. While some of the students opted to head to New York or Boston, Lily decided that she wanted to spend the day in Snow Valley.

The city was entirely new to her, and she wanted the chance to explore and get to know her new home. And today seemed like the perfect time to do so. After recruiting Vanessa, Gaia, and Kiana to go with her, the girls requested Emma's driver take them into the city.

Laughing and joking all the way, they were jovial and talkative, excited to actually enjoy themselves without the fear of a looming threat or tons of homework.

After touring some of the downtown area, the girls entered Icy Delight. Olivia Stine, the owner, and her daughter, Alyssa, recognized Lily immediately and greeted them warmly. Once they ordered, Kiana secured a comfortable booth toward the back of the establishment, next to a large panel window overlooking the street. Alyssa doubled as their waitress and brought over their orders, but the excited chatter kept the girls from immediately delving into their treats.

It wasn't until Lily urged everyone to eat did they actually partake of their respective desserts. "So what do you guys think? Do you like it?" she asked, holding her breath in anticipation of the verdict.

Vanessa took a small sip of her shake and smiled. "This shake is amazing! I've got to stay away from this place. Too many more of these shakes, and I won't fit into that training uniform." She shuddered as she imagined shimmying her lumpy, misshapen body into the rather snug team outfit, every unnatural roll outlined and highlighted in the most unflattering way. "Yeah, not too many of these shakes at all," she concluded, dismayed and disgusted at the vision.

Lily giggled as if she could see her friend's comical, totally fictitious image. She always admired Vanessa's toned frame and visible abdominal muscles. There was absolutely no way she could ever gain enough weight to even remotely fill out the uniform in a negative way. If anything, Vanessa's uniform was the most flattering, gaining her admiration.

In response, Lily said, "There's nothing wrong with a little bit every now and then though, right, Kiana?"

Kiana took a healthy spoonful of her banana split. "Yes, the dessert here is delicious. This is probably the best one I've ever had."

While the other girls had a pleasant smile, Gaia eyed her vanilla ice cream cone with suspicion. "This tasty treat has managed to give me a severe headache. Is this some kind of weapon?"

The other three girls laughed, much to Gaia's surprise. As the laughter died down, she looked expectantly at her companions, waiting for an explanation.

Taking the hint, Vanessa said, "That's what's called brain freeze. Don't eat it so fast, and you'll be fine."

"Brain freeze?" she gasped, genuinely shocked. "You mean, this edible thing is capable of freezing my brain?!"

Kiana shook her head hopelessly. "Not literally, Gaia. It has something to do with blood vessels in the roof of your mouth. Honestly, it hurts only for a moment…you'll be fine afterwards."

"Hmmm…I shall take your advice, Vanessa, and heed your teachings, Kiana." Gaia took a much smaller bite of her ice cream and smiled afterward, content that the throbbing at the front of her head did not reoccur.

Taking a more serious expression, Lily said, "You know, I'm concerned about Mike, Vincent, and Ethan—"

Gaia nearly dropped her cone. "By all that is holy, do not even speak that cretin's name."

Vanessa looked puzzled. "Are you talking about Ethan? Gaia, I mean, he's our friend. A little bit of a womanizer maybe, but definitely not a cretin."

"Oh, the mercy of Hera!" Gaia gasped as she clutched her chest dramatically. "You must have been enthralled by his Narcissus-inspired, striking appearance. Let the wisdom of the gods guide you to the truth."

Kiana almost choked on her banana split. "Gaia, I don't seem to quite recall your manner of speaking being so…" she searched for the right words.

"Greek-mythology-ish," Vanessa filled in.

Clearing her throat, she proudly responded, "Well, since Monet made mention of my Grecian name, I figured that I would do a little research on ancient Greece. The information cube with moving pictures has been extremely helpful."

Kiana, Vanessa, and Lily burst out laughing again, much to her surprise. But when the laughing seemed to go on forever, Gaia slapped her hand on the table. "There is nothing humorous about the information cube."

Feeling a bit rude for laughing, Kiana attempted to compose herself. "The television, as it's called, isn't exactly the best source of educational material. There are a few channels that may help your research."

Vanessa added, "I think you've been watching way too many Hercules movies. Seriously, no one talks that way in this day and age."

"Hmph. I find it befitting of my origin," Gaia replied with a bit of indignant defiance in her tone.

"But didn't you just choose the name out of a book?" Lily innocently asked.

"A moot point, child."

"And I don't believe pink hair really falls in line with Grecian hairstyles either," Kiana mentioned.

"It seemed that they lived at a time when there were only shades of blacks, whites, and grays, so how exactly would you know what color hair they had?" Gaia pointedly asked.

Kiana shook her head in disbelief, not sure whether she should laugh again or actually feel sorry for the poor, misguided girl.

Getting back to Gaia's original comment, Lily curiously asked, "Are you still upset over the misunderstanding between you and Ethan?"

"Misunderstanding?! Lo! That shape-shifting vagabond tried to molest me!"

"Did you really just say lo? And vagabond? Like actually in a normal conversation?" Vanessa flatly asked. Shaking her head and without waiting for an answer, she continued, "Really, Gaia. I think that this has gone a little far. I mean, Ethan's not that bad of a guy. And like Lily said, it was just a simple misunderstanding."

"I've avoided him at all costs. I've never been bested in battle so easily. There must be something strange about him."

"Look, you trust us, right?" Vanessa asked Gaia.

The girl shrugged in response. "I suppose. But your allegiance to the shape-shifter makes me second guess that."

"He's not a shape-shifter. He's a good guy, just like Everett," Vanessa tried to explain.

"Well, my heart did palpitate when I first saw him and even more so when he grabbed me. But I thought only Everett could make my heart do such a thing. That is why I presumed he was a molester and had some ability to enthrall beautiful women such as I."

Vanessa's mouth fell open in surprise. "It seems that you have a crush on both Everett and Ethan?!"

Gaia's face suddenly reddened. "I—I have no such thing. Everett saved me. And Ethan is…odd."

"Girl, you have got to learn a thing or two about boys and girls. Lily, I think you need to put on some ear muffs," Vanessa said with a suggestive smile.

"I can listen too! I'm old enough to know. I'm fourteen!" Lily defended.

Vanessa shook her head, still smiling. "Okay. Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Let me sum up the birds and the bees for you girls."

"I know not what flying creatures and insects have to do with the situation, but I shall entertain your tale," Gaia leaned inward as Vanessa's voice lowered.

Alyssa looked over curiously as the girls suddenly huddled together, their once enjoyably energetic conversation reduced to a hushed, clandestine whisper. Curiosity ate away at Alyssa, but when she finally mustered the nerve to make her way over, the girls suddenly reeled backwards, the hushed conversation definitely over.

As Vanessa sat back, her murmured explanation over, Gaia paled and found herself at a near loss for words. "I—I—I've never heard of such a—a practice before," she tried to blink away the images of Vanessa's description, but they stayed prominently in her mind. "That is much too—too—I don't even have the words to describe it."

Gaia wasn't the only one surprised as Lily's face beamed red and her eyes were wide with stunned surprise. "Maybe I shouldn't have listened," she mentioned, more as an afterthought to herself. Next time Vanessa told her to put on ear muffs, Lily resolved to follow her suggestion without question.

"I'm only telling you guys what I saw on this movie," Vanessa explained, noting the two girls' appalled expressions. It was almost comical, but she held back her laughter, feeling the need to explain herself a little more. "I've never done such a thing. I won't do anything like that until way, way down the road. And the same should hold true for everyone at this table. But that's why your heart is fluttering around Ethan and Everett. A crush is just the beginning," Vanessa let a sly smile cross her lips, as Gaia reacted just the way she thought she would, blushing and shaking her head adamantly in denial.

Kiana took the final bite of her banana split, amused at the whole conversation. "Vanessa, I seriously can't believe that you of all people just told us about the birds and the bees. I always believed you to be the good girl of the group."

Vanessa wagged a chastising finger at Kiana. "I am the good girl of the group. Well, second only to Lily, of course. But the movie—"

Gaia interjected, "Let's not even discuss such a thing again. I have lost my sense of stability just recalling your vivid narrative. Hence, if not for grasping the table to recover my balance, surely I would have fainted."

"Oh no! Are you okay?" Lily's emerald eyes were wide with concern, and she poised herself to attempt to rescue Gaia if she happened to slump over, having forgotten about her own wooziness.

Vanessa burst out laughing. "You are something else, Gaia. Lily, she's just being a bit overdramatic. She's fine."

"Ar—are you sure?"

"The child has plenty reason to be alarmed," Gaia said as she placed her hand on her forehead. "But thanks to your concern, Lily, methinks I've recuperated."

"Methinks!" Vanessa laughed again, almost tumbling out of her seat, eliciting a chuckle from Kiana and Lily. "I can tell that there's not going to be a dull moment with you guys. At first, I was a little nervous about coming here, but now, I'm glad that we're here. Will you at least give Ethan and us a chance?"

"Vanessa, Kiana, Lily. I feel a thread of fate connecting us, and in you I feel a kindred spirit. Though for some reason, Vanessa is always laughing at me, I want to be friends with all of you. And only because I have more trust in you will I attempt to give the narcissist a chance for redemption."

"I'm glad, because we want to be friends with you too!" Lily smiled.

"Our friend actually has a name. Ethan," Kiana corrected, emphasizing his name almost thunderously.

"Tis of no consequence to me. When he proves worthy of a proper addressing, I shall do so."

"Hey, it's a start," Vanessa said. Remembering what started the entire conversation in the first place, Vanessa turned to Lily. "So weren't you saying that you were concerned about Mike, Vince, and Ethan?"

Lily nodded. "They've been arguing more and more lately. And I think Mike's patience is running out."

"You're right," Kiana replied with a concerned expression, her festive demeanor gone. "I was talking with the three of them when Mike and Vincent started arguing. I really hadn't seen Mike that angry before—everything in the room was shaking."

"Maybe they have been enthralled as well, and they're arguing over his affections. I mean, I witnessed something similar on the information cube," Gaia sincerely offered as an explanation.

"Of course not, Gaia," Vanessa said, exasperated. "Make sure you don't watch any more MTV, okay? Anyways," she explained further, "Mike and Vincent…they've always been at odds. And Dr. Cain's sudden disappearance isn't helping. Dr. Cain was basically the only family Vincent had. I'm not sure about his home life, but I gathered that he and his parents didn't quite get along…they always seemed too busy to be bothered with him. So, Vincent was with Dr. Cain more than his own family."

"That makes it much more personal for Vincent then," Lily deduced.

Vanessa nodded in agreement. "And Mike's probably beating himself up over the situation. We know how hard he can be on himself. Vincent's attacks are only making it more difficult for him."

Kiana added, "Yeah. He kind of blames himself for Dr. Cain's disappearance. And Vincent blames him too. This goes way past their personality differences."

Lily frowned. "Do you think we'll still be able to work as a team to find Dr. Cain?"

"Mike will make it work. As a leader, he has to," Vanessa said. "And we'll all come together to find him."

Kiana agreed. "Ethan told him the same thing. But I wonder how the team dynamics are going to change with us now attending the school. Gaia, who's designated as your team leader? It seemed that Everett took the helm in the Danger Room."

"I don't believe that a team leader has been appointed, though Everett does seem to be the best suited," Gaia answered.

Kiana raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Are you staying that with an objective eye?"

"Yes," Gaia answered much too quickly as her face grew hot. Seeing a wide grin spread across Kiana's face, she calmed herself and added, "Paige also seems to desire the responsibility."

"I guess we'll just see how it all plays out," Vanessa said. "But we all meshed well, considering it was our first time in the Danger Room. Tom and Forge were really impressed. So I don't think we have anything to worry about. Everything's going to be just fine."

Kiana glanced at her watch. "We've still got some time to kill. Why don't we head to the park?"

Vanessa said, "That's a good idea. It's a great day for it too."

As they headed out, Lily stopped suddenly. "I'm going to say bye to Alyssa. I'll catch up in a minute." As the three girls continued on, she rushed back into the shop and up to the counter, smiling as Alyssa came out the back. But Alyssa seemed worried, her friendly smile from earlier gone.

"I wanted to come back and say bye…is everything okay?"

Glancing around for her mother, Alyssa said in a mysteriously hushed voice, "I—I'm worried about you. Please, be careful."

Caught off guard, Lily wasn't quite sure she head Alyssa right. "Why? I'm not in—"

"You don't understand," Alyssa urgently cut in. "My aunt—she—"

"Alyssa, can you help me back here with organizing this new shipment?" Olivia called from the back.

"I'll be there in a sec," Alyssa replied. "I was just saying bye to Lily."

"Come back and see us again sometime!" Olivia called, barely visible from the back. She waved then disappeared.

"Thanks!" Lily responded then turned her attention back to Alyssa, who leaned in closer.

"You look exactly like my cousin, and my aunt thinks that—she's just a dangerous woman. And I can't say for sure, but something's horribly wrong. My mother's concerned too, but she doesn't know who to go to. I—" Alyssa trailed off and shook her head. "I've probably said too much. But please, be careful. I don't know what she's capable of."

Lily nodded, unsure of what else to say. "You met Mr. Corsi, right? Maybe he can talk to your mother and do something to help."

Alyssa nodded.

Lily touched her hand and smiled then left the store. Once outside, she took a deep breath, unsure of what to make of the conversation. It seemed so random, yet Alyssa was seriously worried about her. Was she trying to forewarn her of some impending danger? And who exactly was her aunt?

Pulling out her phone, she scrolled through the numbers that were already programmed in and quickly found the one she was looking for. Switching the phone to speaker and video mode, she held it in the palm of her hand, waiting for the other end to pick up. At the last second before she gave up, Tom answered, his face appearing in the small screen.

"What's up, Lily?" he greeted. "I see you're trying out the video feature of the phone."

Not feeling like she had time to comment on the coolness of the feature, she stayed on track. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I just talked to Alyssa…"

"The Icy Delight owner's daughter?"

"Yes. She said something strange…that I could be in danger. And she mentioned her aunt. I know that Ms. Frost and Mr. Cassidy went to Boston, so I wanted to see if you could talk to Ms. Stine."

Tom immediately recalled Olivia mentioning something about her sister and the deaths of her daughter and husband. Back then, Tom felt as thought there was something more Olivia wanted to say, but she held back. Surely, it wasn't mere coincidence that this situation resurfaced again.

Tom frowned, considering Lily could be in danger. "I've known Olivia for some time, so I'll talk to her and see what's going on. Are you going to be okay?"

Lily nodded. "Yes. I was a little scared by Alyssa's warning, but I'm with Kiana, Gaia, and Vanessa, so I'm okay."

Still not convinced but willing to concede, Tom said, "If anything looks out of place, you girls get back to the school on the double. Got it?"

"I understand. We'll be back in a little bit anyways."

"Don't hesitate to call me if anything else happens, alright?"

"Thanks, Mr. Corsi." Lily ended the call, already feeling a little more relieved. She thought about telling the others, but there was no sense in worrying them right now. Besides, it could all just be a misunderstanding. Lily decided to keep the situation to herself as she jogged to catch up with the other girls.

"We thought we were going to have to go back for you, Lily," Vanessa said.

Lily blushed. "Sorry for taking so long. I—"

Quack!

Lily's ears perked up as the sound floated to her ears. Her eyes darted around the park until she found the pond and several ducks wading near the edge. "Oh!" she smiled as she parted from the group and headed toward the pond.

"Where are you going?" Kiana asked.

"I just want to see the ducks real quick!" Lily bounded down a side path that led directly to the edge of Carter Lake. A large body of water, located in the central-most part of the park, it was a favorite spot for tourists and residents alike to swim and boat. The shoreline was always littered with ducks, which the children loved to feed and pet. This was her first time seeing the vast lake, and she was delighted.

Gaia took a step to follow but stopped abruptly.

"Is something wrong?" Kiana asked, noticing the girl's trepidation.

"Those odd creatures," Gaia said, pointing toward the ducks. "I do not wish to traipse any closer lest I be attacked by the monsters."

"They're not monsters. They're cute duckies!" Lily called back over her shoulder. Her long, shimmering curls bounced behind her as she jogged down the rest of the way to the edge of the lake. An older woman was already there, feeding some of the ducks and handed her a piece of bread.

Gaia still hesitated. "No other manner of Earth animal creates an echoless sound. Surely, there must be something unnatural about them."

Vanessa answered patiently, "It's just one of the unexplained mysteries of the world, Gaia. Everything can't be explained in scientific or even natural terms. Take mutant powers—there's no rhyme or reason why they exist or how an otherwise normal human can manipulate all kinds of forces. But it occurs. We just accept it and move on."

"I suppose," she replied, still watching carefully as Lily kneeled next to the ducks. One waddled up to Lily and plucked a piece of bread from her hand. She smiled and held out another piece, while Gaia watched with piqued interest. The ducks, as they called them, didn't attack at all. The more she looked at them, the more she realized that the animals were passive and, in some strange way, cute. "Maybe these duck creatures aren't dangerous monstrosities," she finally concluded.

"See, there you go!" Vanessa smiled. "Why don't you try to feed the ducks with Lily? I'm sure the lady down there has some extra bread."

"I will try my hand at this feeding task. But lo, the first duck that bites me, we shall dine well tonight." Gaia took the same path to the edge of the lake, smiling as the older woman handed her a piece of bread. But the duck that waddled toward her quacked, and Gaia screamed.

Kiana shook her head, turning back to her friend.

Feeling Kiana's eyes on her, Vanessa watched Gaia curiously. "You know, she's never experienced normal things that we take for granted. She was chained to some machine for thousands of years—I can't imagine going through that. I want to help her live normally and have fun, even with our current situation."

Kiana smiled warmly. "You have a kind heart. I had forgotten that."

"Yeah. Sometimes, I do too."

"Is everything okay?"

Vanessa sighed heavily. "I'm getting more and more worried about this whole situation. One day, we're attending a summer internship program at Byrne Company, and then Rico and I get whisked here on a whim to a school for mutants. Meanwhile, Dr. Cain gets kidnapped, and we get targeted by some mysterious organization, which may turn out to be the Arminthorpe Corporation. It's just all happening too fast."

"Aren't you the one that reassured Lily that we'd get it all figured out?"

"I guess," Vanessa admitted. "But deep down, I'm not so sure this is as simple as it seems."

"We'll get some time to hunt down more clues. Our run-in with Mina Laroché gives us a good place to start. She wouldn't have been at Dr. Cain's house without having a reason. Someone pointed her in that direction."

"But Dr. Cain didn't have any enemies."

"From the looks of things, he only had one—the Arminthorpe Corporation."

That idea stunned Vanessa. "The Corporation? But why?"

"I suspect that it had to do with us. Maybe he found out something he wasn't supposed to. Or maybe our reason for being there wasn't as innocent as we thought."

"My father…maybe I should ask him what he can find out since he works there."

"Do you think that's wise? Anyone who seems to get involved with us gets targeted, like the other students at Xavier's."

"Right now, we don't know enough to get inside the walls of the Arminthorpe Corporation. And…" Vanessa trailed off. "That's weird. I can't even remember where it is. We went there enough…I should know."

"Now that you mention it, I can't either. It's like there's a jumble where there should be a clear memory."

"That makes no sense. How could we both not remember where it is?"

"Unless someone purposefully erased it from our memories."

Vanessa felt the warm air suddenly grow cold, and she rubbed her bare arms in response. "What are they trying to hide?"

"Something big. Something dangerous. And if we don't find out what's going on soon, I'm afraid that the dangerous ducks are going to be the least of our worries."

II.

For the past week, Graylon Walsh had overturned every stone he knew possible, but nothing had turned up on Dr. Niles Cain. A police report had already been filed, but he was sure that they wouldn't find anything either. Graylon realized that the only way to get anymore answers without going to the doorstep of the Arminthorpe Corporation was to pressure Dr. Cain's patients or teammates or students or whatever they were to him. So far, Graylon had only met one, Ethan Callaghan, but his main target was Michael Lawson.

Now, strolling down the winding path that gave a scenic tour of Grenada Park, Graylon was only remotely aware of people around him. Until he spotted a pink-haired girl looking quite anxious amongst a flock of waddling ducks. A younger blonde next to her gave an animated encouragement for her to participate in the feeding.

Gaia, one of the Xavier kids. That must mean…

He scanned and found two more girls, directly across from the other two, standing at the lower edge of the hill. They waved back at the blond girl, and then continued to watch over their friends curiously.

Taking a chance that he couldn't afford to miss, he continued up the path toward the two girls. When he got closer, Graylon greeted, "Kiana Asahara and Vanessa Wallace, I presume."

Stunned at hearing their names from a stranger, they both turned toward him simultaneously, mistrustful expressions on their face. Despite their expressions, Graylon had to admit that both of them were quite attractive in their own way. Kiana's firm jawline and Asian features created a sharp, yet refined look, while Vanessa's softer facial structure, large hazel eyes, and full lips made her appear more delicate.

Yet, it was Vanessa that stepped forward and sharply addressed him. "Since when did my name get tattooed on my forehead? Who are you?"

He shrugged, taking slow steps around the girls. "I know everyone in this town. Since I don't know you, it was obvious. And I'm Graylon Walsh."

"Graylon Walsh?" Kiana repeated. Then it hit her. "You're the reporter that always gives Xavier's bad publicity."

He made a shameful cluck in response. "Reputations are a wonderful thing and usually highlight some bit of truth. But in this case, it doesn't. The kids from Xavier's always seem to be entangled in anything sketchy going down. It's my job to report what I see."

Vanessa wasn't buying it, and her expression relayed that. "Yeah, through a skewed, biased lens. You're out to smear the school's name for your own glory. You don't care about the truth."

Continuing to walk slowly around the girls, Graylon shrugged and brushed his blond hair out of his eyes. "My motivation isn't so trite. Besides, right now I've got bigger fish to fry, which actually concerns you. I know about Dr. Cain's disappearance," Graylon paused, watching the girls' reactions. Both of them cast a look at each other but played it cool, which he halfway expected. He couldn't immediately discern if they were hiding something or not, so he continued, "But I haven't been able to get any more information. I figured that you guys may have found something."

He's fishing, Vanessa deduced. And a sideways, knowing glance from Kiana confirmed that she thought the same thing. To Graylon, Vanessa shot, "You're a reporter. Why should we share anything with you? For all we know, you could be headed to your news station right now to put what we tell you all out in the street."

Graylon cut his dark blue eyes as if he was truly offended. "Making generalizations about my intentions? You girls have a lot to learn about judging people."

"Or maybe you should recognize that we have no reason to trust you," Kiana pointedly responded.

"Heck, we don't even know you," Vanessa added, an inflection of attitude punctuating every word. She crossed her arms and glared at Graylon, unimpressed by his responses so far. And at this point, it would take a lot more than snappy comebacks to impress her.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll give you that. But you're going to change your minds about trusting me soon enough."

Arrogance was one thing that Kiana did not care for. And this reporter reeked of it. Intending to shift the conversation to their favor, Kiana inquired, "Why did you call Dr. Cain last week? And why are you trying to find Michael Lawson? And why shouldn't we suspect that you had something to do with Dr. Cain's kidnapping?"

Graylon appeared stunned for a moment, taken aback at the unexpected questions, but quickly regained his composure. "Impressive. You're a few steps ahead of where I would have put you. You've been to his house, and you're probably the reason it's all locked and taped up."

Vanessa impatiently demanded, "Just answer the questions."

"First, it's my job to ask the questions, considering you don't know the first thing about what you're dealing with. And if I'm at the top of your suspect list, then I take back the compliment I gave you." Graylon turned to leave. "You're going to see me again. Both of you. Because we're working on the same side. But our motivations are different. Cain's kidnapping was just the beginning."

Again, his arrogance was shining through and Kiana found herself disliking Graylon more as each moment passed. Still, he seemed to have a piece of the overall puzzle, so she couldn't totally discount him yet. Instead, she offered, "If you want our help, you're going to have to prove you're trustworthy and honest."

"Hmm…" Graylon paused and turned around, a glint in his eye showing renewed interest. "And just how would I do that?"

Kiana answered, "Mina Laroché. A name—that's all I'm going to give you. When you figure the rest out, come find us. You already know the address."

Giving a half-smirk, Graylon looked as though he was going to respond but changed his mind. "Fine. I'll play your game. Guess I'll be seeing you soon. Give Ethan my regards." With that, he turned and continued down the path, disappearing around a grove of trees.

Sighing, Vanessa commented, "Well, he certainly has a flair for being dramatic. I'm surprised you gave him that name. Do you think he'll turn up anything?"

Kiana shook her head, wondering if she had done the right thing as well. If anything, they should be keeping someone like Graylon as far away from this situation as possible. Not only was he a reporter, but his involvement in the entire scheme was questionable at best. She wondered if she had recruited a resourceful assistant or a victim of circumstance.

Kiana answered, "If he's as good as he thinks he is, he will find the information we seek. Mina was not at Dr. Cain's of her own accord, so if we can find out a clue as to who her employer is, we'll have a good starting point."

"I don't know if I agree with getting mixed up with him," Vanessa said with a little bit of a motherly tone in her voice, which Kiana caught. She continued, "That guy…there's something suspect about him. Plus, I'm not really sure that he's the kind of reporter that can figure things out and handle himself if he runs into trouble. We're going to end up having to save his butt."

Kiana chuckled. "I understand your concern. I wouldn't expect anything less from you. I thought the same thing as you, and the truth is that at this point, I don't trust him either. However, we're not really in a position to pick and choose who we trust. If we're going to find Dr. Cain, we're going to have to take some chances."

"I see your point," Vanessa agreed. "It's risky, and I wish the guy that we had to take a chance on wasn't the mortal enemy of Xavier's."

Before Kiana could comment farther, Lily and Gaia made their way back towards them, both with content smiles on their faces. A cool breeze swayed light branches and ruffled the girl's hair and clothes.

"Who was that boy who stopped by?" Lily asked when she neared Kiana and Vanessa.

"The infamous Graylon Walsh," Vanessa answered.

"Ugh. As I recall, he is scum, a monstrous being that should be exterminated along with the paparazzi and lawyers," added Gaia.

Lily's eyes lit up. "Oh! Do you have a crush on him too?"

A repulsed expression took over Gaia's features. "I would rather the slimy, Hellish serpents of Hades slither across my bosom—"

"Eww!" Lily sharply cried.

"You could've simply said no," Vanessa interjected, shuddering at the thought of something wet and slimy creeping across her chest. "I really think you should cut back on the Grecian analogies and explanations. They tend to be a little over-the-top."

"I would have to agree with Vanessa on this point," Kiana added.

Vanessa hated admitting that they were trusting someone that was more like a deadly wild card than a trusted ally. But ultimately, it was Kiana that she trusted. And if Kiana thought that it was a good move to involve Graylon, then Vanessa decided that she would wait to see how it played out. She couldn't speak for the rest of the students once they found out, and wondered how they would react.

Guess we'll just cross that bridge when we get to it, Vanessa said to herself. To answer Gaia and Lily, she said, "We decided to see what he'll turn up."

"You lent your trust to that…that…cretin?!" Gaia questioned.

Kiana nodded. "We had no choice. If he is working to find Dr. Cain as well, he may be a needed asset. But we must remain cautious of him at all times."

Gaia seemed to accept Kiana's explanation. "A reasonable assertion indeed."

Lily, though involved in the conversation at first, was distracted by something beyond them. "Isn't that Vincent?" Lily suddenly interjected, pointing down about fifty feet from where they were standing. Right at the edge of the lake, a red-haired, scowling teen sat pitching pebbles into the water.

There was no mistaking his fire-red hair, which matched his fiery temper. Rubbing his hands on his jeans, Vincent Sellenger picked up another pebble, tossing it in the air and catching it before throwing it. It hit the water with a barely audible splash.

"Do you want to talk to him, or should I?" Vanessa asked Kiana. Because of the time they had spent together, it was pretty easy to tell when one of them was in a mood. And usually, when Vincent was frustrated or upset, he went off by himself and usually refused to speak to anybody. But Vanessa or Kiana would eventually venture to his side and succeed in talking him out of seclusion.

"Because your heart is so kind today, I will leave it to you," Kiana politely declined, bowing afterward.

"Thanks," Vanessa icily said. It wasn't that she lacked concern for Vincent, but she really didn't feel capable of dealing with Vincent exploding with another tirade about Michael. Or lamenting about Dr. Cain. She had done enough of that on her own, and it did nothing to make her feel better. Despite her hesitation, in the end, her kind heart did win out, and taking a readying breath, Vanessa made her way to Vincent.

Still staring out into the calm water, Vincent didn't notice Vanessa until she lightly coughed. Slightly surprised, he hid it well, instead returning his gaze to the water. Vincent felt like being alone, but when Vanessa sat down next to him, he couldn't muster the strength to send her away. Instead, he picked up another pebble and tossed it into the water, creating a chaos of ripples for a few moments before the water settled back down.

"Well, you're a regular ray of sunshine today, Vinnie," she broke the ice. Vanessa knew that he absolutely hated any shortening of his name, but she was the only one that could get away with calling him Vinnie. "What are you doing out here by yourself? Why didn't you go to Boston with Ethan and Angelo?"

Vincent's hand grazed the immediate area for another pebble. "They didn't ask me," he flatly responded as his fingers grazed one. He picked it up and again, pitched it into the lake.

"What about Monet? I mean, she was inviting everyone to Manhattan."

"Not me."

Vanessa suddenly felt a pang of guilt and began to search for alternate solutions to combat the storm brewing. "Weren't you going to help Paige with the computer?"

He snorted in response. "Remember, our fearless co-leader asked Rico to help, not me."

"If I would've known that," Vanessa countered as sincerely as she could, "I would have invited you along with us." And she meant it. Though Vincent could be difficult to be around, she really didn't mind his company. And he seemed to get agitated less when he was around her or Kiana.

"I don't want to be the only guy hanging out with a bunch of girls."

Vanessa couldn't contain a burst of laughter. "Don't play that macho card and complain about being lonely at the same time," Vanessa then held her breath, realizing that she probably making light of something he was taking seriously.

"I didn't complain," he calmly said. "Really, I could't care less. It's not like I'm fitting in here anyways. Maybe I'd be better off looking for Cain on my own."

Vanessa's held breath came out as a sudden cough. She replayed in her mind what Vincent had just said, and it sounded even more ludicrous the second time. "What?! Are you going to leave the school?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, eyes still fixed on the lake. "Thinkin' about it."

A silence fell between them, and for a moment, Vanessa didn't know what to say. They had only been at the school for a week, and they hadn't made any progress on their original goal—to find Dr. Cain. And they were at the school for guaranteed protection from whoever was after them and had access to some pretty high-tech gear that would make their investigation that much simpler. Yet, Vincent seemed ready to simply discard it like a piece of trash.

She found herself picking up her own pebble and casting it into the lake, mesmerized by the symmetrical ripples that spread from its entry point. Finally, Vanessa said, "I can't convince you to stay if you don't want to."

"I don't want convincing," he quickly retorted.

"Then you would've left already." Shaking her head, Vanessa clarified, "What I'm trying to say is that you know that we can't find Dr. Cain without you. And you can't find Dr. Cain without the rest of us. None of us can do this alone. And we're lucky because we don't have to."

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment. "Maybe I am the most useless person on the team."

Unable to hide her surprise at such a statement, she asked, "Who said that?"

"Who do you think?"

Vanessa thought for a moment then remembered Kiana's story from the ice cream shop. "Michael? I mean, I can't imagine him saying that and actually meaning it. I know you two don't get along, but…"

"He's always acting better than everyone. Always so damn perfect and in control. It makes me sick."

Only letting a pause linger for a moment, Vanessa retaliated. "Really, you've got to let that go. This isn't the time for all that. I know you pretty well, and I know that you can kick butt when you've got your head in the game. Right now, you don't. And you're using Mike as an excuse. Maybe he's always been your excuse. But here, we all have to step it up a notch. Especially because if we don't, who knows what'll happen to Dr. Cain? If something happened to him because I didn't give it my all, I would never forgive myself."

"You think I'm weak too."

"No," she quickly responded. "I think you can be stronger. I think we all can be stronger. And we've got that chance here at Xavier's. And we can use that strength to figure out just what the heck is going on." Vanessa shook her head, realizing that she was climbing up on her soapbox. Spiraling down, she said, "Like I said, I can't convince you to stay. And frankly, I won't. If you want to stay here, you're going to have to find your reason. And once you do, that's what you focus on."

Vanessa climbed to her feet and brushed off her jeans. "It really is a nice day today. You should enjoy it."

"Yeah," he absently said.

Unable to say anything else that could possibly help, Vanessa turned away and headed back towards Kiana, Gaia, and Lily, who were already heading back toward the entrance of the park.

"How is he?" Kiana asked.

"He'll be fine," she answered, glancing back. Vincent had left his spot and was no where to be seen. "Yeah, he'll be fine. We all will. And so will Dr. Cain."

Notes:

Generation X and all characters related to Marvel belong to them. Any other characters are fictional