After collecting Toby and alerting him to our clandestine activities – he wants every one to know that on record he was not okay with this – we pulled up outside of Bayville High.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Toby asked when we got out the car. He must've been a little taken aback by the five X-Men in their costumes. This was the first time Toby had seen Kurt without his human projection filter, so I wasn't surprised that he looked slightly intimidated.

"Yes, yes," Rogue said with a wave of her hand. "Have you got the camera?"

Rogue had asked Toby to bring his recording equipment in case Mystique was lurking. We figured the Professor would be too interested in the plans of Magneto to ask questions about why we had the footage in the first place.

"Right." I steered my friends into a huddle. "Does everyone know the plan?"

"I might need an update," Toby whispered.

"Okay. Nightcrawler – we have to use code names – and Shadowcat are going to sweep the building first to make sure there aren't any other intruders on the premises."

Kitty and Kurt gave a salute and ran off into the school.

"Shadowcat will disable the alarm system, and open the doors from the inside, then the rest of us follow through."

Rogue nodded, and took over the explanations, "When we're inside, Geek – no offense, but you need a codename."

Toby blushed and Rogue continued, "Aquatica and I will make our way to Darkholme's office, you and Lula will search and I'll wipe the security footage. Spyke searches the receptionist's office, and Shadowcat and Nighcrawler go to administration."

"Why do we need to search so many places?"

"Because this is Mystique's school." Rogue sighed impatiently. "And what if the Brotherhood have the same idea. They're not completely stupid, and neither is Mystique, she's probably hidden the files anywhere. Wouldn't want a normal student to find it accidentally."

Evan smirked. "But we're not normal students."

"Precisely."

"Okay, I think I get it. How long to we have to-"

My attention was diverted by the open doors of the gymnasium. "They're in! Come on!" I ran to the doors, one of Toby's digital cameras slung across my back. We were silent as we ran across the field and into the sports hall, which was pitch black.

"Uh, don't we get any lights?"

"Wouldn't want anyone to see us from the outside." Evan clapped Toby on the back.

"Yeah, right, I totally forgot that you guys were the masters of breaking and entering."

"It's a privilege to be working with us." Rogue drew a finger across Toby's chin as she sauntered to the girls' locker rooms where Kitty's torso protruded. She grabbed our hands and pulled us all through.

"Dude, the girls' locker rooms?" Evan shivered.

Kitty giggled. "The first and last time you'll ever see them."

At the other end of the changing rooms were the doors that led out to the school pool. I clenched my fists and we walked past. "The double doors at the end lead out to the main hall. Meet back here in thirty minutes, even if you don't find anything." I said. "And if we get split up for whatever reason, just focus on getting yourselves out, okay?"

"We don't leave people behind." Kurt's eyebrows knitted together.

Rogue shook her head. "We do this time. If anything happens then we have to get hold of Scott and Jean. Don't say anything to the Professor."

"Fine," Kurt agreed and we were off.

"Lula, what are we doing?" Toby gripped onto his camera with white knuckles as I pulled open drawer after drawer. Rogue was just outside searching through the filing cabinets.
"We're riffling through the Principal's drawers."

"No, I mean what are we really doing?"

"What do you mean?"

He shot me a look, one that I never expected to see on Toby's face. My best friend looked at me as if he didn't recognize me. "You've changed, Lula."

"Of course I'm going to change, I've got this…this power now. I didn't ask for it, may I remind you," I said, before realizing there was too much anger injected into my voice.

Toby sighed next to me. He put his camera down and started looking through the drawers on the other side. "Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, Lula, I know that. I just," his voice caught," I don't want to lose the old you."

I put down the student reports I was looking at and turned to face him. "Toby," I started.

"Wait, let me finish," he said.

I nodded.

"Lula, you are extraordinary." I wanted to protest but he didn't give me time to before launching in to the rest of his speech. "And you're my best friend, but you can't let them turn you into something you're not. Impromptu fights, busting into school buildings? I understand that sometimes you need to do things for the greater good, believe me, I do!"

"I believe you."

"And I believe in you, Lula. I know you'd never do anything to hurt anyone, but please," he paused and took a deep breath. "Please be careful."

"I'm always careful." I smiled. "Maybe this whole super power thing has got to my head a little bit, but I have to adjust. It's a lot to take in, I can't imagine what it's like for you…being the one-"

"The one left behind," he finished. Toby looked everywhere expect my face. "I will always support you, Lula. In whatever you choose, but make sure you're making the right choices, okay?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He reorganized the trinkets on Mystique's desk. "It means that I know the way that guy was looking at you," his voice was barely audible.

"Who? Pietro?" I scoffed.

"He looks at you like you're something to eat."

"He wants my power for his dad's army or whatever."

"And would you join them?"

"Toby." I rolled my eyes. "You have to ask that?"

A small smile spread across Toby's lips. "You have the choice, is all."

"I couldn't do that to my friends. Plus, I love you too much for some boneheaded guy to come between us."

Toby was silent, and it took a moment for me to realize why. He must have noticed my shocked expression, because when he spoke again he looked forlorn and his voice almost had me in tears. "I love you too, Lula."
I knew then, and it broke my heart, that he meant it in a way I never could.