Trevor Avish reached Aimee's room in record time, but just as he was about to take hold of the doorknob, the door flung open and a skinny arm yanked him inside. 

            A lightweight girl of sixteen with light blonde hair tied up in a fashionably sloppy bun instantly slammed the door shut and locked it behind her.

            "A suspicion," Aimee Whittaker began dramatically, "has been growing in my mind."

            Blinking, Trevor opened his mouth to comment, but was hushed by his excited friend.  "I must ask for your complete attention.  I have formulated a theory."

Though he too had much to tell her, Trevor knew that when Aimee got like this, it was best to just let it run its course.  Lending her an amused smile, he considerately waved forth his hand.

"Thank you," she sighed.  With an illustrious clear of her throat, she paced forward past him in the most serious of manners.  "There are several occurrences which have led me to come across said theory.  Strange happening number one…"  She held up a finger.  "The X-Jet leaves in a flash at the ungodly hour of four 'o clock this morning, waking every single living organism in the entire building, causing me to leap out of bed and stumble onto the floor as I caught my left ankle on the bed sheets."  Looking to Trevor, she gave a scoff.  "And don't even look at me like I'm clumsy.  It happens to everyone.  If they don't to find a way to stop the Richter scale from jumping off the charts every time they decide to get up and save the world I swear my brain molecules are just going to-"

Taking note of Trevor's arched eyebrow, Aimee took a pause.  "But I digress."  She held up another finger.  "Point number two!"  She opened her hands to present her class schedule hanging up on the wall of her dorm room.  "Classes inexplicably cancelled.  Mr. Summers, Miss Munroe, Mr. Wagner, and Wolverine mysteriously disappear, not a soul to be seen at breakfast.  So I logically question, to where have they vanished?"  She answered her own question before Trevor could.  "Aboard the focus of point number one, the X-Jet, of course."

Sitting back against her dresser, Trevor feigned wonderment at her deduction.

"Which brings us to my final observation," she announced.  "Point number three."  She leaned in close to him as if sharing a secret.  "As I am looking around, trying to locate the personages of point number two, I see Dr. Clairmonde, out of her medical element and mysteriously opening up an empty room on the floor."  She ran the tips of her fingers along her chin.  "Said she had to air it out.  Said they'd be in need of it soon."

With a running start, she bounded up into the center of her bed.  "With the X-Jet suddenly venturing outward, the entire staff – save the professor – MIA since breakfast, and the room down the hall open for business, I could come to but a single conclusion."  She took in a deep, gasping breath and ended excitedly, "The four and a half month long wait is over, and we're getting a-"

"New girl?" Trevor finished innocently.

If Aimee's shoulders could have fallen any further, they would have been at her knees.  "No way!" she whined.  "That's not fair.  How'd you know?"

Trevor comfortingly patted her on the shoulder.  "Don't be too hard on yourself," he said.  "Bobby saw -"

"Bobby?" she intoned.  "Bobby Drake?"

He put up his hands.  "One and the same."

Falling into a sitting position on the bed, the girl sulkily crossed her thin arms.  "You've got be kidding me!  Ice-wonder wouldn't know a new girl if one came up and dropkicked him in the derrière.  He wouldn't know a theory if the heavens parted and a divine message appeared in 72 pt. font on his message board-"  Her thought process came to a halt as a sudden realization sprung forth from her mind.  "Unless…it was an inside job…"

Trevor quirked a disbelieving eyebrow.  "You really think that Iceman's trying to replace you as head of gossip central?"

Aimee swept past him, lost in thoughts of conspiracy.  "It has to be one of the teachers.  Could it be Nightcrawler?" she questioned.  "He's fairly new to the Mutant High scene… He could easily be put in a position of 'traitor' unknowingly…"  She shook her head.  "But no, Bobby wouldn't go to him."

"Aimee," Trevor ventured.  "I think you're missing the point."

"It wouldn't be Miss Munroe," she said decisively.  "And Cyclops?"  She gave a snort.  "Please, talk about straight-laced.  He wouldn't dare to betray me.  I'm a veteran!"

"Aimee."

Her brown eyes lit up.  "Which leaves only Wolverine!"  Her soft features twisted.  "That snitch!  In cahoots with Bobby Drake!  Thinks he's so big and bad with his claws and super-strength.  Well, just wait until he gets an ear-load from me-"

"Aimee!" Trevor reached out and took her by the shoulders.

At his raised voice, her eyes went wide.  "What?" she demanded.

Trevor easily came to a full calm and addressed her once more.  "Do you want to know what Bobby said, or not?" he asked.

"Oh.  Right!"  She brightened, forsaking all notions of inner-corruption among the school staff as Trevor held her interest.  She looked on in suspense, missing only a bucket of popcorn in front of her.  "Well, what're you waiting for?  Dish."

Taking a deep breath, Trevor slowly repeated what he had overheard in a clear, concise manner, making sure to include even the most minute details of the interaction to satisfy the girl before him.

"So," he said when he had finished.  "My point is - if you hurry, you still have time to get to the rest of the students and start the grapevine down into the younger grades before 'Icewonder'-" He gave a sideways smile, reusing her term.  "-comes back and does it for you."

"You're right," she realized, immediately taking off in a run down the hallway.  "The masses need to be informed!"
Lumbering after her, Trevor called from the doorway, "Don't thank me for eavesdropping!  Really!  It's all for charity."

Doing nothing to disguise her haste, Aimee spared a wave to him before sliding across the well-waxed floors.  "I won't forget this, Trev!"  She turned once more to address him, running backwards.  "I am indebted beyond my mortal means!"

Aimee gave an 'oof', and Trevor winced backwards as her shoulders unintentionally smacked into an unsuspecting Wolverine.

With surprised eyes, Logan backed away.  "Hey," he said. "You want to watch where you're-"

"And you!" Aimee cut him off, before he could finish his comment.  "Don't think for a minute that you're off the hook!  You better believe I'll talk to you about this later."

She had already scampered back onto her feet and burst unannounced into Kitty Pride's room before Wolverine could complete his thought.

His brow furrowing, the muscular man swerved and looked to Trevor.  A few seconds of silence passed between them before he asked, "Do I want to know?"

The boy started to say something, but then stopped himself.  "No," he admitted.

Wolverine nodded and spared one last glance to the dorm room where Aimee could be heard loudly chattering before continuing on his way.

With no one left in sight and Aimee off to re-claim her good standing, Trevor heaved a satisfied sigh and reluctantly started back towards his unfinished physics problems.

A new girl, he thought, chuckling to himself as he went back up the stairs. 

A high-pitched squeal of excitement that he was sure belonged to Aimee echoed loudly in the hallway.

Just what they needed to keep things interesting.

* * * * *

A soothing computerized voice confirmed his identity.

"Welcome, Professor."

With a 'tick-tick-tick', the blue and gray clasps rotated and cleanly opened the doors that led to Cerebro, allowing Professor Xavier passage inside. 

Ororo Munroe stood by in the hallway, watching as her mentor slowly disappeared behind the metal doors to search for the missing youth.  From what they had discerned from the girl, it was humans that had tried to take the children.  It would be unlikely that they had traveled far.

Nightcrawler's talons clicked against the floor, announcing his arrival before he actually appeared beside her.  "He es looking for ze child?"

Storm nodded her answer.  "We may have to leave again shortly."

Kurt nodded in return.  He stared forward at the closed door of Cerebro.  It was easy for him to imagine the scene behind its doors; he had seen the professor use the strange and powerful contraption before.

But what he could not fully imagine was the power behind the man who used it.  Kurt had relied on his mutation for many things over the years: an identity, a livelihood, and under the best of circumstances, a way to better the lives of those around him.  But to have a power so great that entire cities could be killed, that anyone in any place could be discovered, that time itself would appear to stand still…

It was astounding to say the least.

A few minutes later the professor emerged from the room, and Kurt sent him a hopeful smile.

It unfortunately could not be returned.  The professor's eyebrows pent together as he reached them.  "I was unable to locate her brother."

Storm closed her eyes for a moment, knowing what his absence from the professor's mind most likely meant.  Perhaps he'd been too uncooperative.  Maybe it was a punishment for the lives they had taken.  She frowned.  Or perhaps, like so many of their kind, the boy had simply been unlucky.

Though upset by the news, Storm pushed the thoughts from her mind and focused on the task at hand.  "What should we do?" she asked.

"I'll talk to her once she's fully healed," the professor told them.  "She should be informed of the circumstances."  He paused.  "In the meantime, we can make her comfortable and continue looking for those who took her brother.  From there, we will receive more answers."

She shared an understanding glance with her mentor.

Though Lucas Blaize had more likely not survived, there was still much to be discovered.  She pursed her lips, troubled.  And still many threats posed to their kind…

The professor excused himself, and Ororo left the room, followed by a contemplative Kurt.

Nightcrawler waited until he and Storm were alone in the elevator to voice his thoughts.  "Vhat do ve tell ze students?" he asked.

Ororo thought a moment before answering.  "We should keep our explanations simple," she told him as the elevator doors opened.  "As far as I can see, right now, there's very little to-" Before she could elaborate, a barrage of young children burst forth past them.

"Walk please," Storm called, resuming her role as teacher.  She looked to one in particular.  "Now, Jimmy, what have I told you?"

He rolled his eyes, and his feet found the ground.  "Keep it at a hover.  I'm not a 747."

She failed at hiding back her smile, but motioned for him that he was allowed to go on his way.

"So what grade is she in?" one child asked another, their voices echoing down the hall.

"She's with the big kids."

"Is she around?"

"Nah, still sleepin' downstairs."

"Oh…"

As the children walked around the corner, an amused smile made its way onto Nightcrawler's face.  "Nevermind," he said.  He leaned in to whisper.  "Zey probably know more zan ve do."

Storm laughed, grateful for the moment of candor.  She looked around.  It was true.  Secrets at Xavier's School for the Gifted, no matter how sacred or simple, rarely stayed hidden for long.