Hank poked his head out of his room the instant he heard the door to the girl's rooms close. They'd been running around all night, giggling about something he'd decided he didn't want to know about. Just as he had something he'd rather they didn't know about. Jerking his head back and forth, he assured himself that the coast was clear, and bolted from the sanctuary of his room toward another door, some ten metres down the hall, clutching at his little surprise. Bursting into Logan's room, he slammed the door behind him.

"Poindexter! What the hell are you..." Logan trailed off as he saw what Hank was holding. "Scratch that last one. What the HELL is that?"

"Keep your voice down!" hissed Hank furiously. "Do you want the others to hear you?" Knuckling at a more controlled pace to the table against one wall, he placed the object down, then sat in the chair and looked at Logan. "You wanted me to take a more active role in our little project, so..."

Logan rubbed one hand over his eyes. "A more active role, Poindexter, would've been cracking jokes to get a rise out of her. THAT," he gestured, "ain't helping. Where'd ya get it, anyway?"

"I'm a doctor, Logan," replied Hank mildly. "I can obtain things like this legally."

"Are you gonna use it legally?"

"That's what I brought it here to discuss... you wanted to 'mellow her out', as I recall. That's what this is for. Now, how are we going to use it?"

The pair stared speculatively at the small cannabis plant sitting on the table. Thinking.


Kurt knocked on the Kayle's door and waited. He didn't have to wait long. Vicki opened the door and hit him with a thousand-watt grin.

"Kurt!" she squealed. "You're early!"

"Ja," Kurt agreed. "Can... can I talk to you, bitte?"

Looking confused, Vicki stepped aside to let him in. "Daddy and Simon aren't here, so I was going to lock up after you arrived..." she led him into the lounge and sat on the couch, patting the seat next to her for Kurt to sit. With a polite smile, he sat on the chair near to her. It was going to be easier if she wasn't snuggling up against him...

"So, what's wrong?" she prompted him. "I'm assuming there is something wrong..."

Kurt nodded sadly. "Ja. There is." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Vicki, why did you ask me here tonight?"

She looked at the carpet with an embarrassed look on her face. "I told you, it was to thank you for sticking up for Simon..."

"And was that all?" Kurt asked.

"Well... it's just that..."

"Ja?"

Vicki sighed. "Not many guys at school would be willing to be seen with me. Since they avoid Simon like the plague, being seen with me is almost as bad as being seen with him. When you arrived... you're polite to everyone, and you stuck up for Simon, and... well, you're pretty cute, too..." she looked up again. "So, I asked Simon to get you alone so I could see if you were interested, and you came here, so..."

At this point, Kurt held up a hand to restrain her. "Vicki, I came because I misunderstood. I thought that what you were offering to me was friendship, nothing more. I... I cannot go along with you as you had planned. I have... somebody else... to think of."

Vicki's mouth opened slightly and her eyes widened. "Really?" she asked softly.

Kurt nodded mournfully. "Ja. Vicki, I am so very sorry for what I have done, but customs in this country are so very different, and I did not understand at first what you meant, and..." he trailed off when he noticed Vicki was looking at him strangely. "Vas?"

Vicki stood up. "Well," she said. "May as well drop the act, then..."

Kurt blinked in confusion. "Vicki, I don't..."

Suddenly, 'Vicki' changed. Becoming a tall, blue-skinned woman. Who looked very, very angry with Kurt. She smirked at him.

"You're pathetic," snarled Mystique, and kicked the stunned Kurt in the side of his head, sending him flying across the room. He was already twisting in the air, landing catlike on all fours, when he heard a strange 'phoot' sound. A moment later, he felt a stinging pain as a dart suddenly appeared in his shoulder.

Tranquilliser, he thought. Dummkopf, letting your guard down...

As the world swam before his eyes, he focused his attention on Mystique, dart gun still in her hand. "You... you..." he croaked, before collapsing on the floor.


Mystique snorted and tossed the empty gun onto the sofa. She glanced up at Sabretooth, descending the stairs, glaring at the unconscious Kurt slumped on the carpet.

"I had thought," Mystique commented, "that Nightcrawler was formidiable."

Sabretooth grinned. "Little bastard's thinkin' with his dick, not his head. Woulda done anything without thinkin' if ya'd asked him."

Mystique shrugged. "You're most likely right. Are the humans out of the equation?"

He nodded. "They ain't gonna squeal to nobody," he growled. Reaching Kurt, he slung the boy's limp form over one shoulder. "Let's get outta here. Boss wants the little bastard back at base quick as possible."

Mystique nodded and followed Sabretooth to the door. Pausing at the entrance, she reached into a coat cupboard and removed a can of gasoline, which she used to soak the carpet and walls near the door. As she left, she tossed a burning cigarette lighter onto the sodden carpet, which caught alight with a 'whoomph' sound. They left.

Soon, black smoke began to billow over the city of Bayville as the Kayle house burned slowly to the ground. By the time the fire fighters arrived, there was no way they could stop the blaze. By morning, the house would be nothing but ashes.


Back at the Institute, no-one was aware of this – least of all Amara.

She spent almost two hours getting ready to go out. Seeking the assistance of every female in the mansion, she showered, cleaned her hair, carefully selected an outfit, put her hair up just right, and spent over thirty minutes on her makeup. Then, finally ready, she sat down to wait at a quarter to seven.

She waited for a long time.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited...

When she finally went to bed at eleven o' clock, her tears had ruined her carefully applied mascara.

Kurt had not returned.