Things Just Keep Going Downhill

"All right!" Jean stormed into the kitchen where some of the X-Men were having a snack. "Which one of you sprayed silly string all over Dr. Reisman's room?"

"Got me," Jubilee replied innocently.

Jean frowned. "Look I know a lot of you have strong feelings about Dr. Reisman but as long as she's staying here she's a guest and should be respected as such! Right Bobby?"

"Hey I didn't do anything," Bobby protested. "And even if I did I mean nobody wants her around here! I can't wait until she leaves in two days!"

"Who said she was leaving?" Jean asked.

"Jubilee told me," Bobby pointed.

"I heard it from Tabitha," Jubilee said.

"I heard it…around," Tabitha pretended not to know where it came from.

"Come on guys," Kurt said. "I think we should at least try to be nice to her."

"You gotta be kidding?" Tabitha asked. "You're not actually defending that mad doctor are you?"

"I believe she feels sorry for what she's done," Kurt told them. "We should give her a chance."

"Give her a chance?" Bobby snapped. "Are you out of your mind? What is it with you and psychotics? Okay your mother is one thing but…"

"THAT'S IT!" Kurt tackled Bobby and soon the two of them were fighting.

"KNOCK IT OFF THE BOTH OF YOU!" Jean separated them with her telekinesis.

"Well it's not their fault," Thornn snarled. "Maybe if you didn't bring that human here in the first place stuff like this wouldn't happen. I'm going to my room!" She went alone upstairs. When she got to her room she noticed a note on her bed addressed to her. She read it and gasped. She decided now would be a good time to sneak out the window.

"Where are you heading off to Thornn?"

Thornn jumped and saw someone come out of the closet. "You scared me!" She gulped at the figure. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk…"The familiar figure said.

Meanwhile several X-Men had convened in the living room to watch television. The news was not good. "And the last bit of news today businessman Graydon Creed, founder of the Friends of Humanity has announced his bid for president. Already his campaign has attracted a huge following." There were scenes of people being interviewed.

"You know all these politicians just sit around talking about their problems?" One taxi driver said. "Well I think this Creed guy is actually gonna do something about it. And it's about freaking time too!"

"Mutants are running wild in this country," An old woman snapped. "Back in my day we didn't have mutants. You know why? We knew right from wrong! Now you get all these drugs and sex and lord knows what goes on! No wonder this country has gone to Hell in a hand basket!"

A mother was standing with her two kids. "As a mom I don't want my kids around these freaks. I mean who knows what they could do to 'em! It's just not safe anymore you know?"

There was a shot of Graydon Creed speaking to a crowd. "It's time to take this country back! It's time for the human race to make a stand! If we don't do it now, we will be subjugated by the mutant menace and become extinct!"

"Graydon Creed as president?" Rogue felt her heart go into her throat. "You know what will happen if he gets in right?"

"I don't want to think about it," Scott grumbled.

"I can't take this garbage!" Kitty huffed. "People aren't seriously gonna consider him are they? I mean if he runs as an independent he'll never get in right?"

Trish Trilby continued. "Although Creed is an independent there are strong indications that he will switch to either one of the two major political parties. Both high ranking Republicans and Democrats have been seen in meetings with Creed."

"Oh god we're dead!" Kitty put her head in her hands.

"Way to keep our spirits up!" Rogue told her.

"Well at least the entertainment news is coming on," Bobby said. "I mean at least they talk about celebrities and stuff. No mutant news there."

Soon Entertainment Universe came on. The perky blonde reporter spoke. "Our top story: The Dazzler, the mutant pop star that shocked the nation. Where is she now? Entertainment Universe has exclusive footage of her last performance!"

"When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut?" Bobby groaned.

"Holy crap!" Ray gasped. "Alison! You're on TV!"

"What?" Alison walked into the room and saw the pictures. "Oh god no…"

"Change the channel!" Scott ordered.

They turned on another station. "Here are exclusive pictures of the latest whereabouts of the former mutant pop sensation Dazzler. It seems she is now hiding out at the infamous Xavier Institute, where murder suspect Evan 'Spyke' Daniels once lived. Keeping company with reclusive billionaire Warren Worthington the Third and other members of the X-Men." Pictures of Dazzler on the patio and talking to Warren were popping up onscreen. "Has the faded diva found romance with the Feathered Fortune 500?"

"We haven't done anything wrong!" Alison was nearly in tears. "They're making this up!"

"What's going on?" Hank walked in.

"They're saying that Dazzler is having some kind of romance with Angel!" Rogue told him.

"Although I can see it," Kitty said. "He is kind of cute!"

"Not now Kitty!" Hank snapped at her.

"This is all taken out of context! Look Hank that was yesterday when we were outside!" Alison pointed.

"Oh for god's sake you're right!" Hank said. "I was there along with half the students having a picnic but we're not even shown!"

"They probably are taking photos of us with long distance cameras and stuff and altering the photos!" Kitty shouted. "That's supposed to be Alison! That looks more like me and Lance!"

"What do you mean you and Lance?" Peter snapped at her.

"I can't believe the press followed me here!" Dazzler sniffed. "And now all of you are involved!"

"You have nothing to apologize for Alison," Hank said. "These are all a tissue of lies! These so-called stories are completely inaccurate. On so many levels."

"Yeah everybody here knows you got nothing going on with Angel," Ray said.

"They're all just using us for ratings!" Scott growled. "Between the mutant hysteria Creed's cooking up and this murder business with Spyke everybody's watching us like a hawk! How much you wanna bet somebody's out there now?"

"I swear if I catch even one of those slime balls I'm gonna stick that camera so far down their throat it'll be coming out of his butt!" Rogue snarled.

"Take a number!" Alison agreed.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The phone rang in Abrams' office. "Abrams speaking. Dr. Grippin! Where the hell have you been! I've been dying to ask you some questions! For starters why were you at the plant the night Spears was killed?"

Grippin was speaking on his cell phone in a motel room. "I had no choice! I found something that people would kill me for if they knew where I hid it!"

"What kind of something? Like maybe how you killed Spears?" Abrams asked.

"Listen to me, Spears was already dead when I found him!" He told him. "But there's something you should know. There were some files and I saw…" He heard something coming. "What the…AAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!"

The phone recorded several scuffles and screams. "Trace that call!" Abrams ordered.

Not long after he said that an officer ran in. "Chief we have reports of a mutant sighting!"

"That'll have to wait," Abrams said. "We just got some news on Grippin. He might be in trouble."

"Afraid not Detective," The officer said. "A murder of a man that fits Grippin's description has been reported."

"Oh great!" Abrams raced to the scene. It wasn't pretty. He was interviewing the officer on the scene. "Well now Dr. Grippin is dead," Abrams groaned. "Did anybody see anything?"

"Actually the motel owner and a few guests saw the perp running. They did get a description," The officer said. "You won't believe it…"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

That night Abrams and Sgt. Gilbert arrived at the mansion along with two other officers. "Detectives, what can I do for you?" Xavier asked. Jean was with him. "Are there more questions about Evan you'd like to ask?"

"Actually Xavier we're here to make an arrest," Abrams said. "But it has nothing to do with the Daniels case. Where's the cat girl?"

"Thornn?" Jean asked.

"Yeah otherwise known as Lucia Callasantos," Abrams said. He looked at Xavier. "You seem surprised, Xavier. What you telling me that a telepath like yourself doesn't even know the name of his own students?"

"I don't go prying into my student's minds," Xavier said.

"Well you might want to reconsider that policy," Abrams said. "We did a background check on everybody here. I gotta admit it was interesting reading. But the Callasantos girl was the most interesting of all. Especially since she's a murder suspect."

"Murder?" Jean gasped. By now several X-Men had appeared in the foyer. "Of who?"

"Dr. Grippin for starters," Abrams told him. "You know that scientist that worked on the Power 8? He was gonna turn himself in for questioning but somebody beat us to it. Somebody with fur and a tail and looked like a cat. Sound familiar?"

"When was this?" Xavier asked.

"This afternoon," Abrams told him.

"Then she couldn't have done it," Jean said. "She was in the Danger Room having practice all day."

"The what room?" Abrams asked.

"It's a training room for our recruits," Xavier explained. "We have video that can verify her presence. I supervised that session personally."

"No offense Professor but it will take more than the word of a couple of mutants to verify it," Abrams said.

"Well you've been watching our house!" Rogue shouted. "Did you guys see her leave?"

"No but she could have sneaked out somehow," Gilbert looked at them.

"Excuse me," Dr. Reisman walked forward. "I was here all day. I saw the young lady in question in the training room."

"You're Dr. Reisman right?" Abrams asked. "We did a background check when we saw you arrive in that fancy helicopter from SHIELD. Interesting that SHEILD now has a human agent to back you guys up. But we still need her for questioning."

"Wait a minute, she's not the only cat like mutant around!" Jubilee shouted. "Her sister Feral looks just like her!"

"Oh really?" Abrams took out a file. "Then maybe she might know something about the murders of two people back in Dartonville. More specifically her mother and her boyfriend."

"Oh man…" Scott looked at it. "Better get Thornn. I'm sure she can explain this."

"I'll bet," Abrams remarked. "Where is this Feral character anyway? Don't tell me, you don't know. Am I right?"

"Well last we heard she was running around with…" Bobby began. Then stopped.

"Running around with who?" Abrams looked at him.

"Nobody," Bobby gulped.

"Nobody who?" Abrams glared. "Tell me!"

Bobby withered under his glare. "She's Evan's new girlfriend…"

"You telling me this she cat is running around with Daniels and you never thought to inform us about it?" Gilbert snapped. "Well I think the mystery is solved! Daniels ordered this murder too!"

"You don't know that!" Ororo shouted. "Where's Thornn?"

"She's not here," Jean said. "I can't sense her anywhere!"

"You mean she's gone?" Logan gasped.

"Oh well isn't that convenient!" Gilbert snapped.

"Put out an APB for the mutant known as Thornn," Abrams called out. "And get a warrant to search the premises."

"That won't be necessary Detective," Spirit walked in with Arcade. "We know where she is, or rather…where she's going to."

So who took Thornn? If she was taken…Where is she? What's the secret about Thornn's shocking past? Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter!