If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.

Isaac Asimov

***

   Amara Aquilia looked older than she really was, and that was one of the things that had gotten her into this job in the first place. Impeccable manners: a result of her royal upbringing, Chiselled featured and a dark tan: A result of growing up on a tropical Island, and a very sharp mind.

   All that, and she was one of the few members of the XMen whose mutation didn't have a physical aspect to it… Well except the whole turning into lava thing, but she could control that!

   She groaned and lifted the heavy files off her desk. More work. This time, they needed to be catalogued, collated and stored before 10:00, and then she needed to get back in touch with the Base. Since she didn't get the chance to do it yesterday, she had to do it today, it was procedure. "If we don't hear from you for 3 days straight, we're coming in to get you, so stay in contact" were Logan's exact words.

   She carried them to the desk that was sitting next to the 10 file cabinets that held information about things that ranged from the details of Senator McPherson's proposed Healthcare system, to known Terrorist profiles and to personal information about the employees.

   Her job as intern was to do all the jobs that no body else had the time to do (or wanted to do). She set about reading the files , deciding how to classify them and which filing cabinet to place them in.

   After working like this for about 15 minutes, she was already bored, and almost fell asleep on a file containing all the details on the Senator's employment list. To slightly interest she found her own name on the list before filing it under 'Employee Information'.

   She continued reading the files, and categorising them until she picked up a green folder with a white sticker with red writing reading "confidential" stuck on the front. She quickly looked up, to make sure that no body was watching her. They weren't, only one guy at a computer, who was very interested at whatever was on the screen.

   Someone must've put it in the wrong place Amara thought to herself smiling. She opened up the file. How stupid they were!

   The first page was a short handwritten letter.

Mark,

Make sure you get to Pier 15 before 9:00. Meeting will be held at 9, and no one will be let in after that time. Bring the money. Small demonstration there.

BT

   Amara frowned to herself. The letter made no sense. She turned the page. This one seemed to be the minutes of a meeting. She quickly scanned the page; it looked innocent enough, so she flipped the page. It was phone records. All to a 'Boliver Trask'.

   She recognised the name, but she didn't remember where. She re-read it again, and racked her brain, trying to think of where she had seen the name 'Trask'. Then it hit her

   She casually walked over to the photocopying machine, so as not to look too suspicious, if the guy at the computer looked up at her, and made copies of every single scrap of paper in the folder. It took a long time, but when it was done, she placed them all in her briefcase and locked it. She glanced at the guy at the computer, he still had no clue she was even in the room. She then took out her Cell-phone and hit the autodial 1.

   The phone took a while to be answered, but eventually someone picked up.

   "Hello," Bobby's voice came through on the line, Amara groaned silently.

   "Hey sweetie, it's me. You rang earlier?"

   "What?"

   "Well, I got the tickets to that show that's in town, 'The Secretary'; I thought you might wanna come."

   "Amara, what are you on about?" She gritted her teeth at his incompetence.

   "Yeah, I hear it's very controversial. Based on the true story of a corrupt lawyer and his secretary who dobbed him in" She emphasised the important words, so that maybe Bobby got the idea.

   It took a while, but Bobby did get the message. "Oh, I get you now; I'll tell Rogue and Logan, they'll call you later."

   "I'll see you at 7 then?" She asked, keeping up the façade of girlfriend talking to boyfriend.

   "Yep," Bobby said back, then added cheekily. "Wear something sexy."

   It took all of Amara's control not to yell at him through the phone.

   "Bye,"

   "Buhbye sugar-pie!!" He teased into the phone before she hung up. He was so getting a ass-whupping when she got home.

***

   Logan stood in front of everyone in the Locker room, wearing his orange and black X-Men uniform. "This is a team exercise; everyone will be split into pairs who'll do a job that's given to them. Half-Pint, wanna join?"

   She nodded enthusiastically from her seat in between to Toad and Multiple, who had grown a fair bit since she last saw him.

   "Ok, that means that we'll have an even group." Logan clicked a button on the keyboard behind him, and an image of a museum showed up on the large computer screen next to him. "The aim of this one is to get inside undetected to get the vase, and then get everyone out safely."

   He clicked the button again, and blueprints of the museum came up on screen. "Partners are going to be, Pyro and Avalanche, they'll be perimeter scouts. Make sure no extra security guards feel the need to go inside, there is enough inside already. Me and Rogue will be handling the security guards on the inside. Toad and Nightcrawler will get Gambit and Shadowcat onto the roof."

   He turned and looked at Remy and Kitty. "You two are the best equipped to actually acquire the Diamond and not be seen when doing it."

   Gambit and Kitty nodded. Kitty had found out from Pyro that Remy was a thief; and a good one at that. Apparently he was sought out globally for his talents. Something Kitty found hard to believe of the suave Cajun. (Pyro had also told her that he was from New Orleans and not from France as she had originally thought)

   Gambit caught her eye and winked, "Looks like you an' me be workin' together fille."

  "Looks like it," She agreed.

   "Chase and Jean will be monitoring all progress from the control room. If they see anybody in danger - and there have been dangerous situations programmed in- they have been told to stop the exercise. I don't want that to happen understood? Good, let's go then." Everyone stood up and headed towards the door of the Danger Room.

   Jubilee stood up, "Hey Logan, what about us?" indicating Jamie as well.

   "We need to have people up in the control room. Chase and Jean can't do everything themselves,"

   "That is so unfair, just because we're younger than you," Jubilee grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in a very teenagerly way.

   "Don't take it to heart Kid, next time, promise" Logan said in his gruff-yet-kind voice, and continued walking. The doors to the Danger Room automatically opening for him, and closing when the entire group had walked through.

   The scenario had already started as they walked in, and they were standing in a dark alleyway, across the street from the Museum. Kitty turned around to look at the door that led back into the locker room, but found there only to be a brick wall, with a half-empty trashcan sitting next to it.

   "OK everyone, you know your assignments. Go." Wolverine instructed quietly and the alleyway began to empty. Shadowcat and Gambit waited for Nightcrawler and Toad who were scaling the walls to the side. Nightcrawler doing his own for of aerial acrobatics on the emergency staircase of the building next to them, and Toad using his tongue as a grappling hook to hoist himself up to the top of the building on the other side.

   Shadowcat looked at Gambit who had a card held between his first and second fingers. His red eyes were glowing oddly bright in the darkness. "What are we waiting for?" She asked him, when he didn't move.

   "Nightcrawler an' Toad are checkin' dat no one is on the roof of de other building. Nightcrawler will be back in a court pendant que*,"

   Sure enough, the familiar *BAMF* sound accompanied by the smell of sulphur came from behind them. There was a small cut above his eyelid, but apart from that he was ok. He held out his hand to Shadowcat, and the other to Gambit. They both took them, and a second later, they were on the roof of the Museum.

   Toad was perched on top of an air-conditioning vent, watching two men who were unconscious.

      Gambit pressed down the X on his uniform, and spoke into the communicator, "Wolverine, is de coast clear?"

   He let go of the X and waited for a response. It came quickly.

   "Yep, just watch out for security cameras."

   He clicked it on again, "Je comprends**" He turned to Kitty. "Ya can disable de cameras right?"

   She nodded. "Just tell me where they are, and they'll be out of action before you know it."

   "Good, lets go, shall we?" He said, holding out his hand. She grabbed it and phased slowly through the floor.

***

   "That went well. Half-Pint, good job taking those cameras out of action, and avoiding that laser grid." Kitty swelled at Logan's compliment. After so many years out of practice, it showed that she still had the moves. "OK, we can hit the showers now"

   Everybody stood up to leave, when Bobby strolled casually into the room. "Amara contacted us, apparently she has some info."

   Rogue nodded and began to pat her face with a towel, to remove the sweat that had formed there. She and Logan had run into a few more security guards than planned.

   "What did she say?" Logan asked gruffly.

   "It's 'a controversial show about a corrupt lawyer'." Bobby put on a high falsetto imitation of Amara's voice, "Whatever that means."

   "It means she's found the information we're looking for. Did she say if she would call back?" Logan said shortly.

   Bobby shook his head, "I said you'd call her back."

   "OK," Rogue and Logan exchanged a glance.

   "I dunno about you guys, but I need a shower. I reek like road kill in summer." Pyro yawned and turned to leave.

   "Yeah, me too." Kurt continued out the door after Pyro. Everyone else followed suit, until there was only Jean and Kitty left in the room.

   "So…" Kitty ventured, breaking the uncomfortable silence that surrounded the pair.

   "Listen Kitty—" Jean began, but Kitty interrupted.

   "I'm sorry for being bitchy yesterday morning."

   "That's OK; I shouldn't have told anybody in the first place, it wasn't any of my business,"

   "No you should have. They had a right to know."

   The awkward silence yet again fell over the pair, before Kitty spoke up again.

   "So… are we still friends?"

   "Yeah we're still friends!!" Jean laughed and held her arms out while still supporting the crutches. Kitty walked over and they hugged, the crutches accidentally falling to the ground.

   When they pulled away, Kitty bent down to pick them up but Jean said "Don't worry, I've got them," and used her telekinesis to lift them up to her level.

   "I need all the practice I can get. I used to be able to lift a bus, but I'm out of practice.

   Kitty nodded and laughed. Then they both walked out the door, and headed for the Kitchen where they spent the rest of the afternoon, attempting to make cookies.

***

Translations

*court pendant que- short while

**Je comprends- I understand

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, they belong to Marvel, I'm just borrowing them to do my dirty work.

A/N: Well… 48 reviews!! Me happy!! *dances around* see!! This is me being happy!! *smiles* happy is good… I hope you're all happy with me!!

Thanks for reviewing: Yumiko, archmagus, Rogue151, IMpuLsIvE THouGhTs, DoWriter12, RogueLeBeau, ZenZen and Ishandahalf.

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