As the days passed Raia marvelled at the way things worked around the school. Her instinctive belief that things were

normal for the people who lived here had been right, at least as normal as life as mutants could be. There was no fear,

no anger. Just pure acceptance and understanding for one another, and a constant undertone of happiness that they no

longer had to hide, no longer had to worry that they were going to spend the rest of their lives alone. As Raia's

strength gradually returned she took to wandering around the grounds and the house, even sitting in the back in the

lessons. The things she learnt fascinated her. Getting an education had not been altogether easy for her. And

throughout all this time she was with these people, though they were undoubtedly curious, they never once brought up

again her mutation. The people were intriguing to say the least, not least of all Logan, who seemed to hide a good

honorable heart behind an aggressive, irritable demeanour. He was gorgeous, something she noted but didn't pay much

attention to. The concept of anyone ever having feelings for her, or for her to have feelings for them, had never even

crossed her mind. They amiably insulted each other whenever they encountered each other, finding each other seemingly

very irritating. She didn't doubt that he found her to be a cold over-zealous bitch, and she had no problem with him

thinking so. Scott was sweet in a very gentlemanly way, and Orora was strong-minded and opinionated, attributes she

admired in any woman. She found Kurt utterly endearing and felt harsh flares of anger whenever a surprised look was

given him by students and did her best to draw him out of his shell. At first he was seemingly nervous around her, but

when he realised her intentions were entirely sincere and friendly he was far more willing to talk. Initially talking

with him, talking with anyone, was awkward for her. She was, after all, not used to the small talk that was necessary

with getting to know people. She had never bothered with it before, because she had not been trying to make friends.

When she realised this was what she was ultimately doing, trying to make these people her friends, her relaxation

stopped. She saw now why she had not tried to contact Gagged, why she had agreed to stay. Because she wanted to stay.

For the first time since she was a child she had found a place where she felt safe, and admitting this shook her to her

very core. She wanted this, this place where everyone was a mutant, and everyone accepted one another. She didn't want

to have to hide any more. She wanted to have a chance to live a normal life. Appalled by her selfishness, she instantly

detached herself once more, ceasing conversations with everyone and being even more cold than before. The sharp reversal

to her old attitude did not go unnoticed by the others, who couldn't quite understand why she felt it necessary to

isolate herself from people.

"You gonna go hide in your room some more then?" said Logan as he passed her door, tilting his head in an almost

accusatory manner. Raia stopped and sighed heavily, resigning herself to a confrontation. "Is that a problem Fuzzy?"

she said in a disinterested tone, turning and leaning against her door. "No not at all, it's just all of a sudden you've

gone back to your frosty the snow bitch routine. Not that you've bothered thawing that much but at least it was an

improvement." he said, smiling in sarcastic charm. Raia was more than a little displeased to find herself feeling mildly

hurt. "Well I'm not trying to make friends, I'm not staying long." she said, turning to go through her door again.

"That's what I thought at first, and I'm still here. This place has a habit of growing on you, the people grow on you."

he continued. She paused, turning back at him. She felt like she was swiftly losing grip of this conversation and she

didn't like it. "You don't have to hide from us." he said, his tone more soft than normal, stepping forward slightly.

She shook her head "You couldn't possibly understand." "So make me." he retorted, a challenge in his eyes. Sighing in

exasperation, she turned and went into her room, leaving the door open for him to follow. He did so, peering round the

room as he did, taking it in. True to her previous statement, it was apparent she was not staying long. Nothing was

unpacked, clothes that Orora had bought for her were all placed neatly in a bag on a chair by the desk. Everything was

impeccably neat. "Friends make a person weak." she said simply, sitting on the end of the bed and staring at him calmly.

"You make friendships, your priorities change to those people, you lose sight of the larger picture. They compromise

your judgement. I can't afford to have my priorities changed OR my judgement compromised. My focus has to be on my

cause, and that is helping mutants." Logan sat down on the edge of the bed next to her "Friends don't make you weak.

They strengthen your resolve, you'd do anything to protect them. It's also kinda funny that you're so caught up in

helping mutants when you won't even admit you're a mutant yourself. What are you ashamed?" he said, instantly regretting

it when he saw her face contort in barely concealed distress. "I am NOT ashamed!" she hissed out. He looked up in

surprise. Never before had she admitted that she was in fact a mutant. "Then what's the problem?" "I'm... I can't..."

she began, her eyes wavering before she closed them and breathed slowly. When she opened her eyes again she was calm

and collected as before, and Logan saw the moment to question this issue was lost. "You know what I think? I think

you're afraid of making friends. You know that if you try, you'll have to handle rejection, you'll have to handle losing

people you care about." he said, grinning slightly, his words sharp but well intentioned. Her bronze eyes however were

as hard as flint, never showing how deep the words cut "I'm glad you feel that way. Now d'you mind gettin' your ass

out of my room?" He shrugged and stood up "Fine, but you oughta think about what I just said." he continued, walking out

just as Scott ran past the room. Seeing him there, he stopped and reversed "Logan, we need help with fixing the jet,

feel like getting dirty?" he said. Raia's eyebrows rose "A Jet?" Logan looked at Scott as if for confirmation,

and he shrugged "I guess we can show her."

"This is unbelievable!" exclaimed Raia as she looked up at the jet, its sleek technology leaving her dumb with disbelief.

"Where the Hell d'you get the money for this?" She asked, forgetting all about remaining cool and distant in a wash of

curiousity. Logan shrugged and grinned "No idea, I guess Chuck's loaded." he said before heading underneath the jet to

an opened compartment that Kurt was fiddling with. Xavier and Ororo entered, each giving Raia a smile. "How are you

feeling today Raia?" Asked Ororo, coming over to inspect her bandages. "A lot better." she replied, wincing slightly as

Ororo lifted her shirt and gently pressed the wound on her stomach. "This isn't working. Lemme get some more tools."

grumbled Logan, heading out from under the jet. Scott meanwhile had climbed inside the ship to see if they were making

any headway with their repairs. Suddenly an ominous shriek of tearing metal echoed through the docking space of the Jet,

and the room shuddered. They all looked about them in confusion and growing unease as another shriek occured. Kurt

straightened up slightly, worry etched across his face. Too late Xavier noticed a piece of the undercarriage next to

the right front landing wheel of the jet splinter away, taking the wheel with it. The jet lurched down an inch,

impacting with Kurt's head. He fell back instantly, unconscious. "What the Hell's going on out there?" they heard

Scott roar from inside the Jet. "KURT!" shrieked Ororo as the jet began to buckle under the weight laying on three

wheels instead of four. None of them were fast enough to move as it collapsed down on top of Kurt's prone body. But

just as the Jet hit the floor, making the entire room vibrate with a sickening thud, Xavier saw a red glow emit around

Kurt. "KURT! OH MY GOD KURT!" screamed Ororo, running an inch forward before stopping again, as if she couldn't bear to

go near the crippled jet that had crushed her friend. Through her tears she saw Xavier's gaze locked on Raia. Turning,

she saw Raia was standing with her hand held up towards the jet, eyes wide with utter primal fear. A strangled whimper

came out of her throat as everyone's eyes fell on her. There was another abrupt flash of red, and Kurt was at her feet,

unconscious, but alive. Storm ran over, breathing shakily and tested his pulse. "He's alive." she said, cradling his

head in her lap. Her stare returning to Raia, she saw the state that she was in as the others did. Her breathing was

shallow and irregular, her eyes utterly wild. Then she let out a broken scream that seemed to echo around the entire

metallic room before spinning and smashing herself into the wall, pulling at her hair and shrieking like a mad thing.

Logan ran over and grabbed her but she simply flailed angrily, not even seeming to see him but just striking out.

Eventually he pinned her to the floor on her stomach and unsheathed the two outer claws on each of his hands,

inter-meshing them around her wrists as impromptu handcuffs. He became increasingly alarmed when this did not stop her

and she continued struggling, the claws cutting deep into her wrists, her wailing never stopping. Her buckings were so

violent that even when he actual straddled her back to hold her down he was nearly deseated. "Raia stop I'm gonna

cut your hands off if you don't hold still!" he yelled over the top of her shrieks. Gradually, she stopped, her breathing

slowing, her eyes glazing over. Logan looked round at the others who were all frozen stiff in complete shock. It

appeared that they had now witnessed, in whatever shape, Raia's powers.