Chapter 29

"I don't get it. I just...don't!" Amara shouts, still annoyed and frustrated from her earlier argument with Jean. She's currently pacing about her boyfriend's lounge. She needed to get out of the mansion and came here.

Manuel is sitting down, listening, letting her blow off steam. In this role Manuel does find himself often these days combating real...feelings he has for Amara. No, really. Not only is she pretty to look at he actually finds her tolerable company. Who knew, huh?

Course he never lets this slight fondness he has developed for her to distract him from his mission. Still he must play this cleverly. "Well I don't know this Jean personally, Mara but it couldn't just be as simple as jealousy could it?"

Amara pauses and looks at Manuel with a look of deep thought. "Jealousy?" she questions.

Manuel shrugs. "Well it's a guess. Maybe she doesn't like sharing the spotlight."

"Well I...I wouldn't call Jean that petty. I mean sure she's a little uptight and bossy..." Amara stops, not sure what she is saying or where this argument is going. She's not sure she's helping herself clear things up in her head. That's for certain.

Manuel pats the space next to him as a signal for her to come sit which Amara does. He takes her hands into his own. "Ok just let out a cleansing breath," he advises and as she does he uses his powers to calm her emotions down so she'll listen to his next words. "Look, you know I've been debating whether to join you at Xavier's or go to Frost's Academy right?"

Amara nods. She's been really hoping he would join her at the Institute and they could have their relationship more out in the open...especially around her friends. "How is that relevant to this?" she wonders.

"Well part of that decision is going to be how I see the people who are members of each and no offence intended, your friends don't seem to be dealing very magnanimously with this so far."

"That's a broad brush you're painting there, Manuel," Amara thinks.

"I'm not trying to offend your friends or upset you," he promises...or at least he says it like a promise for her benefit. "Look what do you say we give it a few days for all the heat and hype to die down and then we'll see what happens. I mean I hope your friends are what you say they are but you have to admit the Hellions aren't looking so bad either are they?"

Amara's brow furrows slightly but she couldn't argue with him. "No. I...I'm all for giving people chances. A...good friend believes in that," she says, referring to Clark and if her God thinks people can be given chances then she has to as well.

"This is a very big decision Mara. I can't rush it," Manuel says with a believable sounding sincerity.

"No. I understand."

Plus it's a few days that'll allow him to carry out Emma's plan and once that is done...well Manuel thinks Amara won't be as enamoured with her friends any more. "You're the best," he says.

"It has always been so," Amara says with false boasting. She leans forward and the two share a kiss.


Downtown Bayville, that very evening...

It was a busy thoroughfare with lots of people and cars. There was a clock-tower and at the top of which was a large gargoyle statue. Behind it, on the roof, stood Hellion with an evil gleam in his eye. He locks his fingers together and cracks his knuckles. He stretches out his hands and uses his powers to shove the statue away from the building and down it goes...towards the many innocent bystanders below.

Many of them scream and cover their heads...waiting for the inevitable but it never comes.

When they look up they find the statue held up by the gargantuan figure of Beef who smiles warmly at them. Lucky he was in the right place at the right time. "No worries, citizens," he says, making himself sound like some clichéd goodie, goodie hero. "Your lives are always safe with the Hellions on the job," he says with wink.

Thanks to Emma's behind the scenes influence the picture of Beef catching the statue would be on the front page of local paper in the morning with the headline 'MUTANT STRONGMAN SAVES CITIZENS FROM PERIL!'.


A local park, the next day...

Two young brothers are playing a game of soccer, enjoying the beautiful sunshine while their parents watch on with a smile.

What none of them see is the nest of bees up in one of the trees...but from a discreet distance Roulette has. She waits until the right moment before unleashing one of her bad luck discs.

One of the boys, when he kicks the ball, ends up sending it right into the nest...as bad luck would have it.

The bees erupt from the nest, angry and ready to sting everyone in sight. They head for the two boys...who look doomed until a certain veiled Afghan girl steps in between. She dissolves into a sandstorm and envelops the swarm, soon drowning the insects in dust and saving the two young boys.


At the Institute, the next day...

Kitty picks up the paper as usual from the doorstep and takes it into the kitchen to show Scott.

The headline this morning; 'A SANDSTORM FROM ALLAH SAVES TWO LOCAL BOYS'.

The picture is of Dust being hugged by the boys' parents.

Scott crumples up the paper in rage before he tosses it into the air and blasts it to pieces.

Kitty just looks on...rather shocked at his anger. Then again maybe not. There are 3 reasons.

One; he and Jean are having another one of their Emma related spats so he's in a bad mood anyway. Jean's been really bitchy these last couple of days...especially to Amara. Kitty doesn't even think Jean's apologised for what she said to the Nova Roman princess the other day yet.

Two; Scott is totally convinced that the Hellions aren't being genuine and are playing everyone for mugs. Though completely contradictory to that he is still sorta giving Emma some benefit of the doubt which leads back to one and why he and Jean are having a rough spot.

Three; the Hellions take every opportunity at school to rub it in the X-Men's faces. In fact they seem to revel in doing that.

Truth be told it is getting on all their nerves. Even Kitty's.


Elsewhere in Bayville...

A bus is simply going along its normal route...when suddenly a precise beam of what looks like light strikes a tyre.

A light courtesy of Alison Blaire...though no-one will be ever able to prove that. Her laser beam bursts the tyre and the bus starts to careen out of control.

Like in some clichéd movie scene a woman with a baby in a pram just happens to be crossing the road at that exact moment.

Moment before the bus can hit Firestar swoops in from the sky and rescues the woman and her child.

The bus continues its skid, heading right at a bus stop with 2 people waiting. Inches from striking them the bus stops.

Looking along towards its rear one finds Beef holding it by the rear bumper as the one responsible for the save.


At the Institute, the next day...

There is a rather dour atmosphere hanging around the place. Not only have the Hellions been getting great headlines but they seem to be doing it with only a fraction of the effort the X-Men have to put in to get anywhere near as good headlines.

Plus the fact 3 days of having to put up with the smug, overbearing attitude at school.

Seriously the X-Men are this close to snapping.

At breakfast that morning Kurt teleports in with the paper, reading it. "According to this poll," he relays what he is reading. "The Hellions are now getting a higher approval rating than Clark."

"Fucking hell," Claire swears. That's...unbelievable. "After all Clark and I have done for this shithole town and we get forgotten just like that!" she complains, snapping her fingers to emphasises her point but she means come on! Her and Clark totally kick villain butt and save lives...and have been doing so for months and now they're just like yesterday's news.

Clark sighs and folds his arms across his chest, tucking his hands under his armpits. "Ignore it, Claire. I am," he tells her. He isn't letting it bother him. He doesn't care about ratings. He does care about people.

Kitty grabs the paper from Kurt and reads up on this poll. "What kind of messed up world are we, like, living in?" she wants to know.

"Your boyfriend gets worse ratings than that," Ray remarks what he gets compared to the X-Men.

"I know!" Kitty says vehemently. "I hate that! Petey deserves so much better!" she insists because it so bugs her the way Jameson treats Peter. He tells her it doesn't matter and he's right but...it annoys her. Isn't a girl suppose to want her boyfriend to have the best life possible?

"Petey, huh?" Tabby queries with a dirty smirk. "Is that the sort of nicknames you two use when he stays over?" she asks, waggling her eyebrows.

Kitty's cheeks flush slightly.

"Time Bomb, zip it!" Logan snaps, so not wanting to think about it.

"Is it me or is it just too convenient how they're always there just in time?" Martha queries, airing a trend she's noticed.

"It is indeed too convenient," the Professor confirms as he rolls in. "I've been keeping track of the Hellions on Cerebro and there is always a power activation just before the incidents."

"Knew it!" Jean crows at the Professor's implication. "I knew Emma was pulling something!"

Scott rubs his head. She'll never let him hear the end of this. "I may point out I was suspicious too," he says, having saying it to Jean.

Jean glares at him coldly. "Apart from where you always make excuses for Emma," she spits out.

James coughs and interrupts. "If the Hellions are indeed staging these we need to prove it...before they engineer something that gets out of hand," he suggests. "Na...I mean Clark," he has to correct himself, almost slipping. He does that occasionally.

Amara's eyes narrow. Naman. What a ridiculous concept. Why not just use his real name...like her people do. She and James have had the odd...intense debate over Clark's status in their respective belief systems...and like many differences between religions it can get heated over the slightest discrepancy. Faith always produces the most intense passions.

"Clark," James starts again. "Have you not noticed anything while you were out?"

"Nope. Which may add weight to it being staged because given just a few more seconds in each case I would have been there but they always beat me."

"They're staging it," Claire states what she concludes. She's going to fucking fry them. Just watch her.

"Um...we don't have proof for that," Amara argues. Her thoughts still filled with what Manuel was saying the other day...and after watching her friends seem to become more and more consumed with jealousy and paranoia she has to wonder truly what the X-Men are in this for. Surely they can't be in this for good publicity or so petty as to not to be able to stand someone else doing well and helping people.

"Amara is correct," the Professor says which makes her smile. "We must not act prematurely without proof."

"We should follow them," Logan suggests. "Tail them. You know, see if they truly are setting these things up."

The Professor strokes his chin. "Perhaps," he ponders doing that.

Amara's smile slips. Good Gods that is so...that doesn't seem quite right. They can't be that paranoid!

"Let me think on it during the day. Now go to school and try and not let the Hellions suspect we're onto them," Charles advises.

"Right Professor," the Scott says enthusiastically, thinking that this could be a good plan.

"It's a terrible plan," Jean tells him, picking up his thoughts. "We should just give them the rope to hang themselves," is her idea. Especially Emma. A rope hanging Emma...now there's an idea.

Scott flashes her a disapproving look. She can't mean that.

"Whatever you decide," Clark interrupts as he rises from the table. "You're the ones with the issues with them," he says, sounding like he is saying 'Don't drag me into this.' Like he is separating himself from them. He then leaves without another word and before anyone can respond.

"Well...acting weird diary entry 57," Claire mutters about her brother's continuing odd behaviour. She means he just agreed that the Hellions are probably staging these 'accidents' and then he just walks out stating, essentially, that it's not his problem. It's just plain weird is what it is. It just happens in random intervals. Days on end he's his usual self than one moment, like just that, he's like a completely different person. They can't let it continue because there's no way her brother could just ignore what the Hellions are doing if he was himself. She sighs. She guesses she might not be able to help much with this situation either because she has got to keep a close eye on Clark.


Bayville High...

The students of Bayville High were facing their finals but were allowed to use the dining hall between tests. It was a place to grab some much needed nutrients and for last minute study.

It was also the place where the Hellions took most advantage of rubbing the X-Men's noses in their heroic actions these last few days.

They block the X-Men's path as the mutants were simply trying to get to their table.

"Hey Summers," King Bedlam says with a smirk. "Did you see us in the news this morning?"

"I try not listen to...garbage," Scott replies, the inflection in his tone indicating he is aiming that jibe at the Hellions.

"That sounds like jealousy to me," Hellion accuses. "What do you think Jen?"

Jennifer's lips curve up into smarmy, self-satisfied smile. "Well I don't like to tattle on mine and Alex's pillow talk..."

Scott tenses instantly. He doesn't need to imagine that and he doesn't think he'll like what it is his brother says to Roulette in that most intimate of situations.

"But he does mention something about an inferiority complex," she says.

Scott frowns. He isn't just taking that as true. Despite his and Alex's issues they're still brothers and therefore Scott would give Alex the benefit of the doubt. At least until he asks his brother flat out whether that is true or not.

"That explains so much, mes amis," Bevatron says.

"Why don't you guys, like, go get a life," Kitty fumes at them.

"We do. Have you been watching the news?" Ali asks.

"What are you guys really up to?" Marie asks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion at her former team-mates. She knows them well enough to think this is a ploy of some sort.

"Up to?" Angelica queries, puzzled. "I thought it was obvious. We've decided that you guys were right. Using our powers to help people is the way forward. It just happens we're much better at it," she rubs it in, particularly enjoying rubbing it into Marie's face. Ok so she might not be as over the bitterness at Marie leaving as she thought.

"You don't actually expect us to believe zhat," Kurt says.

"It's really kinda pathetic how petty you guys are," Beef comments in return.

Jean shakes her head. Fed up of this. She already has one of her power related headaches today as well as the stress of finals. She doesn't need to be dealing with this. "You know what. You can go tell Emma I know she's plotting something but I really don't give a flying frick about her or you because I know you'll mess up. Emma always messes it up. Too much ego. Too little sense...and if you don't believe me ask her what happened to her brother," Jean says, sounding really nasty and bitchy.

"Jean," Scott snaps, unable to believe she raised that. He knows how much it hurt Emma when her brother killed himself. So much so she left.

Jean glares at him, a flare of golden psychic energy in her eyes. She then shoves a path through the Hellions with her telekinesis, something she is not suppose to do, no power usage at school and marches off to her table.

"Wow...moody," Roulette can't help but remark.

"Time of the month?" Ali suggests with a snigger.

"I like her," Julian says with a certain look of...lust. So forceful...gives him chills. "Goggle-boy, if you guys break-up let me know will ya."

Scott's nostrils flare in annoyance. The mere though of Hellion just touching Jean makes him want to blast the smug little brat through a wall...or 5. He restrains the urge...barely and pushes past them to go sit at his table. The X-Men follow.

Unfortunately the Hellions are far from finished annoying them and follow suit.

All except Dust who sits out of the way as usual. She is joined by Clark who does this to stay out of the way and unnoticed...especially by Ali who has the best chance to see who he is under his glasses considering the time they spent together a couple of summers back in Metropolis.

"You're quiet, Sooraya," Clark comments. Sure she is a quiet person by nature but even by her standards this is more so than normal.

Sooraya sighs. What does she say? That's she having major guilt pangs over what her and the Hellions are doing? What they're doing right now. Because Dust knows that somewhere nearby is Empath using his powers to heighten the X-Men's emotions. He's been doing it for days, pushing them more and more on edge, waiting till they finally snap. Then Ms Frost will move her plan to its next phase.

"Not enjoying being a hero?" Clark presses on, oblivious to her internal worries.

Sooraya sighs more. "It...it...doing a good deed is its own reward," she finally comes up with...though her voice is strained by the lie. She feels terrible for saying it.

Clark seems to chew that over for a moment. "It is," he agrees with her. "As long as the deed is truly good and selfless," he adds.

Well that's the problem isn't it. How can the deeds be good when they're the ones setting up the 'accidents' and unlike Ms Frost, Sooraya can't see the 'greater good' this will lead to.

"You seen Claire yet?" Clark wonders, pretending he can't find his sister if he wanted to.

"No. I have not," Sooraya answers, frankly relieved to have changed subjects off her 'heroics'.

"Hmm," Clark says. "I hope she's not cussing out one of the teachers again," he expresses his wish. She's done that quite a few times since she started school. "Though have to say she's getting better. She use to vaporise rooms when she first came to the Institute every time she lost her temper. Now she goes around aiding Superman. It's amazing isn't it. How one can change and do good out of the tragedy of their lives. Take their pain and make it a strength."

"Y-yes," Sooraya says, unable not to stutter.

"You sure you're alright?" Clark asks because her whole demeanour and speech seems off...stressed one could say.

"I am..." Sooraya trails off. To say she was fine would be a lie. She's not fine with her actions these last few days. That's the problem.

"Sooraya?" Clark queries at her stopping.

"It is...something I cannot discuss. I am...sorry," she says.

Clark looks at her concerned. "Well I, of course, respect your right to privacy but if you ever need to talk I'm here."

"Thank you, Clark," Sooraya says softly. She really does appreciate the friendship they have managed to strike up.

Completely the opposite to the friendly relations between Clark and Sooraya the Hellions have continued to boast about their heroics to the X-Men who are getting closer and closer to snapping thanks in no small measure to Empath's interference from a distance.

It's hard to say what one thing starts it but there is no question to who threw the first punch.

Scott.

And once he did the whole kicked off into a brawl that in the end took Superman making a surprise appearance to end it.


The Hellions Boarding House...

Later that day, once the Hellions were all back home, Emma marched back and forth in front of her students who were lined up in the lobby. Some of them sporting bruises and the occasional black eye.

"Well now, where do I start?" Emma asks, her tone serious and not amused at all.

"We didn't start it!" Julian says in his instant selfish defence.

Emma stops in front of the dark-haired teen, her icy-blue eyes narrowing. "Julian, never interrupt me again," she warns him in a strict no-nonsense tone. You'd think he'd have learned that by now but nooooo. "As I was saying..." Emma's lips curve up into a smile. "Well done," she congratulates them.

"Huh?" Several of them say together.

"Not that I approve of fighting at school. I warned you about that and you will accept the punishments Principal Kelly dishes out without debate," Emma says first off, "but this was the reaction I was hoping to provoke as you know. Now we just have to push the X-Men into doing it in a more public forum and dent their reputation."

"I don't see how that helps us Frosty," Ali remarks. "I know you said this was what you wanted but why?"

"Charles and his X-Men need to be knocked out of their idealism. Once we have shown them the real world and how real people think and react we'll be in a much better position to show them that the Hellfire Club is their best chance for survival. We're not evil as they might see us. We're realistic in how the world works and how to influence it for the betterment of mutantkind." Emma turns to Kind Bedlam. "Now Christopher," she addresses him. "Did you manage to get what I asked for?"

Kind Bedlam reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a broken pair of Cyclops' red glasses that got smashed during the fight.

"Excellent," Emma compliments him. Now all she needs is...

The front door opens and in walks her sister, Adrienne, who has been overseeing the Academy. Emma wasn't happy about that but she couldn't do anything about it for the moment.

"This better be important, Emma," Adrienne says, not sounding happy at being dragged here from Boston on her sister's whims but Emma had assured her that her latest plan couldn't work without her and they needed it to work...as the Lord Imperial demanded. So here Adrienne is. Though what the Lord Imperial was thinking taking her sister off her parole Adrienne has no clue.

Emma holds out the broken specs. "Here. Use your gift on that," she tells her sister. Adrienne's gift is psychometry, the ability to see the history of an object or person by touch.

Adrienne sighs and gives her sister a look before she takes the object and uses her powers to see what she can see. "Lets see...well he and his girlfriend are in the middle of a spat," she relays.

Emma instantly perks up at that news. "Really?" she asks with an intrigued smile. Ooh the possibilities of rubbing it in Grey's face are just endless.

Adrienne rolls her eyes. She doesn't see whatever it is Emma does in Cyclops. She continues. "They're suspicious that you're setting these 'accidents' up and are seeking to try and prove it."

Emma figured they would be suspicious. She planned for it. "How are they going to prove it?"

"By spying on you. Following the Hellions around...starting tonight."

"Excellent," Emma says. "That'll work perfectly," she adds, seeing how she can use this to their advantage.


At the Institute...

Amara cannot believe the X-Men were the ones who started the fight. It's ridiculous. What has gotten into them lately. And what does it say that the Hellions seem to be the ones carrying the mutant message these days while the X-Men, her 'friends', seem to be sinking into petty jealousy instead of welcoming this change in the Hellions as they should.

At least the Professor was telling them off as he should do. That's no way for X-Men to act. Sure, Amara herself has not been the ideal pupil lately, she'll admit it, but at least she isn't starting fights.

"I can't believe I missed out on that brawl."

That complaint comes from Amara's best friend Tabitha Smith. Is Amara surprised by this remark?

No. Because Tabby has said previously she finds the fights around here the best part of being an X-Man. It's just Tabby's nature.

And Amara's nature...well that was telling her to seriously question what she is doing here for the 1st time ever.

They were in their room studying at the moment...or at least attempting to study. Finals season sucked...as Tabby phrased it but it had to be done.

Amara just raises an eyebrow.

"What?" Tabby asks at the look.

"Nothing," Amara says with a sigh. There's no point in trying to explain her thoughts to Tabby because she knows Tabby probably won't agree. Though from what she knows Tabby went to bat for her on Jean which Amara deeply appreciates. Deciding not to dwell on that she moves on. "Where's Wanda?" she asks after their 3rd room-mate. The one who altered the room. Dr Strange still hadn't been round to fix it yet. Amara really wishes he would because it's just weird to sit in a room which seemingly defies the laws of physics with its size and shape.

Tabby shrugs. "Not sure. Hanging out with Clark...maybe. She totally has the hots for him despite her 'he's like my brother' spiel."

Amara looks sceptical at that. Mainly because in her opinion Clark only treats Wanda like a little sister he has to protect. Which is incredibly noble and fits in with the view she has on her benevolent God.


Elsewhere in the mansion the X-Men leave the Professor's office after their chewing out for getting into a fight.

Scott didn't really try and excuse himself. They had been told repeatedly not to cause this sort of trouble and he was the one who threw the 1st punch. He did offer to alone take the blame but the Professor didn't let the rest off that easily.

They shouldn't have joined in. They should have stopped it right there and then. Instead they escalated it.

Only the fact they all agreed on the need to spy on the Hellions is stopping them all being grounded. Though standard punishments, cleaning the x-jet or van or helicopter or helping out Mr Kent in the cultivated sections of the grounds have been given out.

Right now they need to get ready for their night out. They had a lot to do and Clark had made quite clear he wasn't aiding them. They were on their own.

Jean strides right past Scott without saying a word. She still thought this was pointless but she's been given an order so she'll follow. Don't expect her to be happy about it. Nor with Scott. She told him to ignore the Hellions but no. He couldn't. He just refused to listen to her. She bets he would have listened to Emma.

Scott looks at Jean's retreating form, her shoulders tense, with sadness. He doesn't like arguing with her. Who does like arguing with their girlfriend? But it seems to him she's taking this whole thing too personally and over the top.

It's not like he's blind to Emma's duplicity. He's not...but when he looks at her he always remembers that pretty brown-haired girl who gave him his first kiss. He's seen under that front she puts on. There is a real and complex woman there who isn't a saint but does care and has compassion. Scott believes if he can just reach that part of her again maybe he can persuade her to give up on the Hellfire Club and rejoin the X-Men fold.


And so it begins...

The Hellions jump into a couple of cars and leave their home heading off into Bayville. Across the street up a tree sits Nightcrawler, blended into the night with a pair of binoculars in his hand.

Nightcrawler activates his communicator. "Zhey've just left. I'm moving to zhe next mark, roger, over," he says before he vanishes in a puff of blue smoke.

And so it continues, Kurt porting from one place to the next keeping tabs on the Hellions while the X-Men follow at a more discreet difference in the x-van.

Where were they going? And what were they up to?

Those were the main questions going through the X-Men's minds about the Hellions.

When the Hellions drew up into a typical suburban street the X-Men were even more confused. Why would they come here of all places?

By the time they catch up several minutes have passed. Plenty of time for the Hellions to have accomplished what they came here to.

And what was that you are probably asking.

Well the thing is, as much as Emma had tried to manipulate the media favourably toward the Hellions(which is why they are getting so much better publicity than the X-Men ever mange), there are always voices of descent. Especially when mutants are involved.

One particularly big blow hard of a radio host and probable FOH member had being spouting his usual anti-mutant agenda with all the more vigour since this started. Basically claiming that the so-called accidents were probably caused by mutants...which was true but the Hellions weren't going to let it stand...because Emma told them not to.

Part of the plan.

So they arrived at his house and made a mess of it and waited for him to get home. They knew roughly what time he usually did and had therefore timed all this to near perfection.

He arrives, they make some casual threats about what they'll do if he doesn't leave them out of his anti-mutant tirades. When he tries to be brave they prepare to give him a demonstration of what will happen if he doesn't back off...and that is when the X-Men arrive.

Well the X-Men plus a few other students who had also agreed that something needed to be done. They soon all encircle the Hellions.

"Back away, now," Cyclops warns, his visor flaring up in a red glow.

"And if we don't?" King Bedlam wonders. "What are you going to do about it?"

The varying X-Men power up in response.

Hellion smirks. "Fine by me," he says, relishing the opportunity, caring little they're outnumbered.

King Bedlam places a hand on Hellion's shoulder and shakes his head. "Not here nor now," he decides...mainly because he's still following Ms Frost's orders. They've already gotten what they wanted from tonight.

The Hellions depart without another word...apart from Ali childishly blowing a raspberry at them as she leaves.

The radio host isn't gracious at all for the X-Men's help, swearing that if it the last thing he does he'll see all the mutants in Bayville driven out of town.


The Hellions Boarding House...

"What was the point of that?" Hellion asks Emma shortly after they return.

"It's all steps along a road, Julian," Emma says in reply. "Through your actions you've helped confirm in the X-Men's minds what they suspected all along about us. They'll be keeping a closer eye than ever on us. Plus our not so friendly radio host will tell all of Bayville what happened. I have our people ready to spin the story the way we want. It will hint at the X-Men's jealousy of us. Now all we have to do is demonstrate it in public view."

"How do we do that?"

"This Saturday we're cutting the ribbon at the opening of the new zoo," Emma informs them of what she has arranged.

"Snore-fest!" Ali complains.

"Yes buy a necessary one," Emma responds to that. "Two things will happen. Empath will be hidden amongst the crowd to push the X-Men's emotions to the absolute edge and then their control over their powers will end up having a bit of..." Emma looks to Roulette. "Bad luck."

Roulette grins.

"Which is, of course, what Jennifer is suffering from since she has the flu which means she won't be able to attend," Emma says, her tone implying what she requires.

Roulette catches on and coughs hoarsely. "Um, Ms Frost...I don't feel so good," she says, faking sounding ill.

"Oh dear," Emma says in fake sympathy. "Well in that case I insist you go to bed and don't leave until you're better. I'll release a statement about how you can't be there on Saturday."

"Yeah that sounds like a good idea," Jen nods in agreement.

Shortly after that they go their separate ways and Dust goes to her room, accompanied by Penance. Dust locks the door after them and drops to her knees and starts praying for guidance.

She looks up at Penance sitting there, her light blue eyes studying Dust but with a look of complete innocence.

"Oh Monet," Sooraya whispers Penance's true name in utter sadness.

Penance blinks but shows no sign of any name recognition.

Sooraya bows her head. It saddened her so what Monet's brother had done. What he did with Selene's magic and what he turned his own sister into. They don't even know how much, if anything, is left of Monet inside the red-skinned creature Marius transformed her into. She doesn't even respond to her name. Only to Penance.

Sooraya has guilt. Only a few people knew the truth of what had happened to Monet and she had to stay silent about it, denying any possibility of asking for outside assistance in restoring Monet to herself.

Now she has guilt over what they are doing to the X-Men. It's not right. Sooraya can't shake that notion from her mind yet what can she do?

She owes Ms Frost a debt. Ms Frost found her and saved her from the life she was facing in Afghanistan. Ms Frost has promised to help her find her mother. Sooraya hasn't seen her mother since she was 10 when the Taliban abducted her mother and took her only Allah knows where.

Sooraya sighs. Her faith tells her she cannot do this...but what choice does she have but to?

It's an impossible dilemma.

"Oh Monet," she whispers again. "What do I do?" she asks.

Penance wanders forward and sits directly in front of Dust. "Rrr," she says...almost sounding sad as if on some level she feels the distress Dust is suffering through.

"What do I do?" Sooraya repeats over and over and over, hoping Allah will answer her prayers and guide her...but no answer is forthcoming.


Author's Note: I know I haven't shown much of Amara and Empath. It's just one of those things I thought worked best in the background. Like Amara keeps him secret from her friends we didn't need to see much of it beyond knowing Empath is manipulating her emotions. I thought it made sense Clark and Sooraya would be friends. Two people who don't like drawing attention to themselves hanging out. Considering her very deep faith it only makes sense that the Hellions actions would deeply trouble Dust. I ended up moving the order of this episode so I had to toss out Kelly's running for Mayor anti-mutant stuff since he hasn't quit being Principal and started all that yet. I'll include it in a later story. For now I just replaced his appearance with that brief anti-mutant radio presenter scene. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; No Good Deed part 4 as Clark has a surprise encounter and will the X-Men fall into the Hellions' trap?