Tides of Change Chapter Twelve

Off The Beaten Path

Sorry this is so late guys, It's been like a freaking roller coaster over here. I would have updated sooner, but the internet was down. All this, coupled with a hand that swelled up lovely during the course of a weekend, I had trouble with parts of this chapter. Add all that to the fact that my Grandmother just died, and well, you get a majorly delayed chapter. I am really, really sorry!

Roguefan, You've seen Road Rovers? WOO! I AM NOT ALONE! I think Colleen and Exile where my favorites, because Colleen was female and a major force to be reckoned with, and Exile just rocked. I don't blame you for not adding them, it'd be hard to work in. Can't wait to see how you do the Mighty Ducks! (I already feel sorry for Wildwing, his brother is not going to behave is he? And when Kurt, Bobby, Pietro, Todd, Xi, Nosedive and Michelangelo get together...)

Kitty: PROFESSOR! THE BOYS BLEW UP A WALL! AGAIN!

Wildwing: When I get my wings on Nosedive, he's going to find out the OTHER use for a hockey stick!

L1701E, many thanks for the continued support! And for the use of your creations.

Ace: Yeah, thanks a bundle!

Hey Red Witch! Found your mallet yet? If I where you I'd interrogate the muses, the tactic hasn't failed me yet. OKAY, WHO TOOK ALL THE COOKIES!

Starfire: It would not be being Friend Xi and I, no it would not!

Xi: I'm a hippo!

See what I mean?

Jade, your a gem, you know that? Thanks for being so supportive!

AnT, SO sorry I didn't thank you in the last chapter, my muses are punishing me as we speak.

Lance: MORE DUCKTAPE! SHE'S STILL TALKING!

You should all be happy to know that Lance and Amara have made full recoveries during the Hiatus and are currently expressing their joy on my hide. OW!

Disclaimer: "Yeah! We're soldiers for Evil!" "Soldiers against Evil." "I'm considering my options."

-Ray Ray and Monroe, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee.

A Copse, 11:50 P.M.

Away from the semi-well used road the led into Middleton, a small forest lay neglected in the hills. It was comprised mostly of trees, but whatever slightly vengeful spirit had claimed it so long ago for it's home had allowed thorn bushes and brambles to creep in through the trees. It was here that Terra had finally stopped running, or rather, flying, from the man in the bathrobe that had cornered her. She swayed on top of the piece of mobile sidewalk before toppling onto the wet ground. She landed with a dull thump, the concrete crashing down beside her, effectively digging it's own grave in the mud. Her stomach bubbling uncomfortably, demanding that she eat something before it was forced to do something they would both regret. No chance of that tonight. While Terra was used to roughing it, spiky grass and slippery leaves where OUT of the question, especially after the last time she tried that. Her throat was burning with the need for liquid of some kind, and she opened her mouth in hopes of doing something to calm it down. She closed her eyes as the rain pelted her forehead mercilessly. She could swear it hissed when it hit her skin.

Mud oozed into a vague impression of her form, flecks of bright green grass bending down and molding the back of her body in a slightly sickening collage. It was a long time before she realized that she was crying. Twister... she left Twister behind! Oh god,

why did everyone who she started to like or trust get hurt? Was this some sort of punishment? What had she ever done to deserve this?

The continued on, unheeding. It was sort of soothing... if you choose to look at it that way. Terra was by no means an optimist, but anything was better than thinking about what the bathrobe had done to Twister...

"Nice night for star gazing Fräulein ." A German tinted accent said beside her.

Terra gave a short scream, maneuvering her body around to face the source of the voice. Her wet hair slapped at and sticked to her face, completely covering her one eye with more than half of her muddy mane. A blue furred... thing was crouching down beside her in the wet grass, it's fangs gleaming in the dull light. Terra's eye glowed yellow, helping her to see slightly better through the fog and rain. Kurt jumped slightly, shocked at the minor display of power. The Professor had only picked up a signal yesterday, if she could do that already...

"Who are you and what do you want?"

Terra's one visible eye narrowed, restricting the beam of golden light. Kurt gulped and held up his hands, trying to coax some good will out of the furious girl in front of him.

"I'm Kurt, Kurt Wagner. And all I want at the moment is your name."

"Yeah right." Terra snarled, "I've heard that one before pal! What do you really want?"

"Well, I don't know about him, but I want Supper."

An African-American boy stumbled out of the bushes, his windbreaker soaking wet and torn in a few places. Terra blinked. If these guys where criminals, they had an odd way of assailing a body. The second boy tripped over something and fell face first in the mud.

"Make that Supper and a Bath." He groaned, sitting up. "Jesse Aaronson, pleased to meet you."

Kurt helped him up, grimacing as the mud slid onto his fur. That stuff was really hard to get out. His hands moved towards his black and red uniform, intent on dislodging the goo before it solidified. He stopped when he saw it flaking off. Terra had one hand out, the appendage helping her to preform the one Geo-mancing trick she felt up to. Jesse watched with mild fascination as the mud caked off and floated away on the cold wind, before being tagged down by rain drops and reuniting with the earth.

"Danke." Kurt said.

"If we're gonna end up fighting, I don't want to get dirty in the process." Terra mumbled, trying to justify her actions. Her eye stopped glowing, the bright yellow dimming to it's usual blue dye. She shivered as the cold wind ran it's fingers through her hair. "Look, you wanna help? I could use some dry clothes."

Kurt nodded and dispersed in a cloud of black smoke. Terra coughed, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Does that all ways happen?" She asked.

"Yes." Jesse said dully, "Noxious, isn't it?"

Kurt reappeared in a nearly identical puff of smoke, carrying a large leather jacket that Logan had abandoned months ago after everyone in the mansion had teamed up and bought him one for his 'Birthday' in July. Since no-one knew when his real day of birth was, they had just picked a random day to throw a surprise party. It had taken them three days to pry the silverware from the wall. Kurt handed it to her, trying not to look to embarrassed.

"Trauriges Fräulein." He said, "This is the only thing I could find on such short notice."

"It's bloody perfect." Terra grabbed the jacket greedily, then stopped, "Um, thanks. Kurt right? And Jesse?" She threw the jacket on, noticing, with some pleasure, that it came down to the middle of her thighs. While her legs where still bare (Except for the sagging metal bandages that where slowly unraveling) but she could handle that.

"Ja, what's your name?" Kurt asked, cocking his head.

"Tera. Tera Lydia Solange Xantara Jacinda Markov." She said, giving a long suffering smile. "I was named after relatives."

Jesse nodded, "Big family?"

"You have no idea." She muttered darkly. "So we just going to stand here or do you have somewhere to take me?" Common sense argued with her stomach, and was eaten alive. Her shoulders where beginning to regain feeling as her body warmed up and something that felt suspiciously like a canister of alcohol was thumping against her thigh. Terra had a strict no-drinking rule,

(intoxication and flying did not mix well,) but alcohol had many other uses, sterilization (if it was a certain kind) of wounds for one thing. Flavoring for whatever she could dredge up for another. She decided to investigate later, after food.

Former Alley-way, Middleton. Time irreverent.

Twister groaned and twitched. What had hit him?

Oh yeah, a old geezer with a robotic arm. Was he dead? Couldn't be... death was supposed to be painless, wasn't it?

Something nudged him on his bruised side. He yipped, trying to edge away from it.

"It's me you idiot!"

Twister opened a crusty eye. Tornado's battle worn face was close, he could feel the hot breath brushing humidly on his cheek.

"Tor... Tornado?" Twister said blearily, "Where were you?"

The older guardian growled, "Getting chewed out by the ever-charming Time Gate Keeper. Apparently Terra wasn't supposed to be awakened for another year. How was I supposed to know that? No help whatsoever..."

Twister grunted as he tried to stand up, his legs more unstable than a bowl of jelly in the middle of an earthquake. Tornado shoved his snout in under the pup's belly, helping to support him. After a few tries and fails, Twister was finally able to prop himself up, and attempted to hobble out of the ex-alleyway.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tornado demanded.

"Terra... we've gotta go get Terra!" Twister said, just before his legs gave out again. "She could be in trouble!"

Tornado growled and moved to block the pups exit. "We can't." He said, "The great goddess of Pluto said we where to early. Said we've severely mucked up the time stream. Hah! If that thing was so darn fragile we'd be kissing up to apes by now! After a thousand years around the thing you'd think she'd be able to figure that out..."

"Maybe she just wanted someone to yell at." Twister said, "That seems to be your driving force." He muttered.

Tornado let the comment slide. "She wants us back with her, until the 'appropriate' time." He said, spitting the word out like it was the foulest of poisons. "Said that if we where lucky Terra'd mark it down as some sort of delusion. Said that if she Didn't we where in for some serious trouble, something about the space-time continuum. Then she started hitting the Mini-Bar. She'll be sending a tunnel through in a minute."

"She was drinking?" Twister said, in the small, awed voice of someone who has just heard something they think they shouldn't have, but never the less wants to know more should the opportunity to use such a forbidden fruit would present itself.

"Everyone drinks Whelp." Tornado said, "But she was actually hitting it. With her staff. Left a sizable dent in the marble." He allowed himself a small smirk, "She really should get some medication."

A small noise, like the kind you get when some four-year-old sticks his finger in his mouth and flicks it out again, thinking they are immensity clever, resounded from the other end of the ex-alley. A small, violently pink one-trip disposable travel tunnel made itself known.

"Yeah, but she wouldn't need it if it weren't for you." Twister pointed out.

"And that's my problem?" The older guardian asked innocently. He examined the tunnel with a half-cocked eyebrow, examining it. "Haven't seen one of those since the Silver." He said to himself as they started walking towards it. Twister limped beside him, on of his legs held off the ground.

"Well, you did make that comment about her backside a few years ago." Twister said thoughtfully.

"Exercise would fix it right up. Everyone could use it." He said amiably.

"And of course there was the infamous Noodle comment..." Twister said, looking up at the sky and trying not to smile.

"Egg-timer. She should have one lying around her place, she's got practically everything else. And anyway, she didn't need to get snotty about it."

"You got snotty, if I remember right."

"You don't." Tornado's voice was suddenly sharp, the tones of someone who didn't want to talk about something anymore. "No more talking, now. Tunnels are a- were a marvelous invention, but it'll be hard enough keeping your last meal inside you without in-flight conversation to."

Twister swallowed nervously. "Do we HAVE to use it? Can't we just walk? Or we could use that wind trick, like last time."

"We were staying on roughly the same continent and anyway, you can't walk across water. We can't walk across water." He corrected. "Some people here probably could. Anyway, it's probably very nearly almost sort of completely safe, so quite your whining."

"Probably very nearly?"

"Or something like that."

Middleton High School, 11:55 P.M.

Kim, for what seemed to be the fifteenth time, emptied what little was left in her stomach onto the schools pavement. She wiped the foul flavored bile from the ring around her lips. There went the chocolate milk from yesterday. She doubled over again, her whole body racking with tiring contortions as her body sought, in some primal way, to rid itself of the images.

Ron was back with Laurie and Dean, extracting those who had survived the holocaust in the van. With Deans Lycanthrope senses, it was a more desirable job then it would have been if they had been deprived of them. Kim had been excused, or rather commanded to not take part in the task, even though her speed and strength had been a great help. Her usefulness was dimmed, however, by the fact that she kept collapsing from exhaustion or hurling her meals onto the floor. When Ron had suggested that she stop, she had angrily retorted that he and Laurie both had done at least one of the above, the blond girl had calmly yet shyly stated that they had only done that ONCE, and not umpteen times. The REALLY annoying thing, besides that they where right, is the fact that it didn't really bother her anymore. She was in a livid rage that would make any of Trigons minions run screaming for the nearest exorcist and often aimed a kick at Elizabeth's prone form, (Aimed, but never released. She hadn't gone yet.), but she had more or less accepted the fact that most of her class-mates, and even some distant friends, where gone.

She doubled over again.

Her soul had more or less moved on (In a loosely translated way. ) but her body didn't seem to have gotten the memo yet.

Meanwhile...

Ron held his breath as he went back into the van to help Dean drag Carley out. The smell inside wasn't to bad yet, and if you didn't think about what it was you could remove someone without completely loosing it. They where short one helper and couldn't afford to loose anymore. Dean had his t-shirt pulled up over his face, and kept grumbling something about how it was going to take weeks before his sense of smell would be working properly again. Apparently this also happened every time he passed an Indian Restaurant, or had to do some really dirty laundry.

"Gnh... I'mb relly gonna hab to get nobse pugs or somatt." The older boy groaned, setting Carley down and breathing through his mouth. He shook himself, trying to some how dislodge the stench from his nose.

"Makes me glad I have almost no sense of smell." Ron said.

Laurie was sitting over with the other captives, talking to them about the situation. Many kept asking her to repeat the part about Kim (THE Kim Possible?) being a mutant. All in all, besides the fact that they still had a van full of dead bodies and SOMEONE was going to have to tell their parents, things where going well.

No-one seemed to notice the fact that two of the members had never showed up for the meeting.

Location Unknown. Time unknown.

To talk with Da-Xia and Dahlia Shaffon, you had to be in a special state of mind. Da-Xia and Dahlia NEVER talked to anyone besides each other, so when the weren't speaking (which had only happened once, so far.) they where basically cutting off communications to the rest of the world. They had no friends besides the two of them, and even their parents had been scared of the way they seemed to regard every other living thing, I.E, as lower than them.

And then... there was the way they blinked...

They almost never did it. They seemed to think of it as a hobby, and not a necessity. Their eyes never seemed to get dry, they never watered, got red and puffy, or did anything other than stare coldly at whomever they where talking to- er, at.

They moved in perfect synchronization. They never embarrassed themselves. They never conveyed emotions. And above all, they never, EVER made Nick Fury's job easy.

The head of S.H.E.I.L.D held his head in his hand, taking deep, soothing breaths and trying to find his happy place.

"Okay, lets run through it ONE more time." He said.

"Oh look Da-Xia, we've got his eye to twitch."

"You owe me twelve dollars Dahlia."

"Thank you, Thank you, Yes! Now would you just tell me what happened?" Fury shouted, banging his free hand down on the console in front of him. A tech support woman gave him a disapproving look.

Fury was currently in one of the many communications rooms at HQ, and facing two identical blond girls on a giant screen. Other people who where currently uninteresting bustled around doing whatever the heck he payed them to do. Unlike certain twins he could name...

That technically wasn't true. The Shaffon twins, (sometimes called Dyad,) where among the top five in their field, not counting the Avengers. They could get into and out of any place you care to name without breaking a sweat, unravel miles of digital code in minutes, and take out anyone in their way with barely a whisper. (On the victims part. The Twins never spoke when they where on duty.) It's just that, what with their top-notch job, they rarely got time to enjoy themselves, and did so by torturing whatever poor dipstick they had to answer to.

They had been working for nick ever since the had turned ten and finished their training. Training that SHOULD have taken them

five more years. They where on the field by age twelve, and on their own by thirteen. They had only ever talked to four people directly, and didn't intend to show the same courtesy to anyone else.

The one on the left, Dahlia, sniffed haughtily.

"He really should learn to keep his temper under control, shouldn't he Da-Xia?"

"Yes, he should also know that when we play games with someone, it's because we have information that no-one else does." Da-Xia said, smirking at her twin.

"Just think about how happy he'll be that in addition to telling him that Elizabeth was captured-" Dahlia said.

Fury looked up, "What?"

"That we've also located H.I.V.E's latest Headquarters..."

"And that was no picnic, was it?"

"Elizabeth's been captured? By who? She took out Jenny!"

"Like we know?" Da-Xia snapped, "Perhaps she just wasn't properly motivated, right Dahlia?"

Dyad was part of a small, hand-picked group of mutant-mutate-BEINGS that Fury had painstakingly assembled over the course of years. They had first been considered for the team when they walked into a top-secret meeting at age 6, when they had wondered away from their field-trip group and got bored. The fact that their where twenty heavily armed and trained guards lying outside the door making little bubbling noises, the sixteen digit lock-code had been unraveled, and the fact that all they had on their person was a calculator and a pair of fishnet stockings heightened the Heads urgent needs to get them onto their side.

Their parents had signed over the necessary documents, bought a life-times supply of birth-control pills and moved to Las Vegas with the money the government had handed over for them. Fury still remembered the day. It would have helped if the twins had done something soppy, like ask where their parents where going or try to get out of the grip of the two female officers holding them, but they didn't. They just stared after the car and went quietly away. When one of the officers had asked if they would like to call their parents to say anything, like 'goodbye', they had merely looked at one another and said, 'Good Riddance.'

Fury had never seen anyone like them, and that wasn't exactly a bad thing.

For five years Fury had been trying to stop the mutant trade slowly blooming in the criminal underground, and when the Twins graduated they finally had the means to remove at least ONE of the major traders out of the way.

A plan had been formed.

The Twins where sent back to high-school, despite their spirited protests and ordered to get themselves captured.

They had failed, but that wasn't the issue now.

The New, New H.I.V.E. Academy, 7:12 A.M.

"A Lie can run around the world before the Truth has got it's boots on."

The saying is doubly true in H.I.V.E. Academy. The School hours hadn't even started and already everyone knew that Jynx, one of the top graduates, had been expelled. Unbridled Rumors and speculations ran rampant down the student-infested hallways, extending tentacles of half-truths into the minds of whoever would listen. Manta kept repeating a spell to increase his mental shields as he walked beside Devastation, a tan girl with cherub-like wings. The girl never spoke to anyone else, but with her eyes she didn't need to. One look was enough to discourage even the most determined of chatter-boxes. Opinions raged like a temperamental sea around the golden compound. Half of the campus wanted to know what she did t be thrown out, so that they might emulate her. Others would turn their noses up at the mere mention of her name, muttering things they hadn't dared to let leave there mouths while the girl was still amongst them. Some where wondering who was going to take her place on Mammoth and Gizmo's team.

Another popular debate was if the sorceress was dead or not. Many thought that Blood had simply killed her after her expulsion, it wouldn't have been the first time.

In the middle of all of this where Jynx's two best, and as far as most people knew, only, friends. They had been the first to be told, via a service droid at the breakfast table.

Thunk.

Mammoths tray shook the table slightly as he set it down, causing the glistening micro-chips Gizmo was tinkering with to jump, skitter and dance merrily to the edge of the table and certain oblivion. The smaller boy squeaked and stopped them before they learned to sky-dive. A few angry phrases lined up for rapid fire inside his head, but he bit back on them. One thing you could say about Gizmo, he didn't often insult his friends. He snorted as he looked over at the tray. Fruit, muffins as big as his head, French toast, Cinnamon buns, Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Mammoth never failed to amaze him with how much he could fit into his stomach. The Giant always ate like it might be his last meal or it was his first after along time. It wasn't even like he shoved it in his mouth, but he did eat continually, with two forks. Two forks that had been painstakingly crafted to not catch fire from the friction on the trips to and from the plate, and the metal was folded and strengthened so many times the only way you could tell it was a fork was right after Mammoth had stuck it into the meal.

"Got enough Baron?" Gizmo asked sarcastically, picking up a microchip and examining it with a well tested eye. Everything checked out to the point that he could blame any sudden failures on the Titans attacks on the machine.

Mammoth picked up a Bun and swallowed it without even chewing. Gizmo's eye twitched involuntarily. No matter how many medical records he 'borrowed', or how many tests he ran, the fact that Mammoth seemed to be able to eat ROCKS and still have his digestive track in good order still neglected to offer any answer. Then again, some of the dinosaurs had deliberately eaten rocks to help with their digestive processes. Maybe the behemoth sharing a table with him could do the same? Mammoth wiped the sticky, sugary brown ring around his mouth with his bare forearm, leaving a sparkling comet-tail along his thick gorilla-like appendage.

"Actually Mikron, I think I have."

Gizmo's face went pale. He looked around franticly, but no-one seemed to have heard Mammoths comment. The cafeterias occupants went about their business, the lights shining down on gleaming yellow tiles and fat, Frisbee-shaped service droids.

After nearly a year, Gizmo was beginning to really HATE the color yellow.

"Keep it down will ya? Jeez."

Mammoth snickered. Then he picked up a Chocolate Muffin and inspected it. Finally dubbing it worth for an all expenses payed trip to his stomach. Droids floated under the bright lights, their domed heads distorting whatever they reflected. Droids had become a common place phenomenon at H.I.V.E of late. Headmaster had already lost two bases due to spy's, and was in no hurry to loose a third. Droids where everywhere, along with their more heavy-duty cousins the Drones, and where constantly running background checks on the occupants of the school. In addition they where also equipped with a voice chip, a miniature data-bank, a holographic recorder and a small defensive laser. The design had been created by none other than Gizmo himself, although the boy hated the things with a passion. He had gotten some money for it, which he planned to put into use concerning the Piano heist he had planned. One of the little buggers was bobbing it's way over to them now, it's message light flashing. It stopped at the table just as Mammoth picked up his duel forks and started on the quivering mass of failed poultry offspring.

"Mikron O'Jeneus and Baran Flinders?" It asked, even though it probably knew very well who they where.

"It's GIZMO." The owner of said name spat.

"Yeah?" Mammoth said.

"The Head Master wishes for you to know that Miss Aghanashni 'Jynx' has been expelled. A replacement member for your team will be chosen soon. Thank you."

The clang of one of Mammoths forks as it hit the floor was louder than any fog horn.

"Razzum-frazzem peicea- wrench!"

"Here."

Gizmo held out a minuscule hand and shrieked with shock and pain when the wrench Mammoth had handed him pinned his arm to the ground.

"OW! GET THIS SONOFA- thanks."

Mammoth picked the wrench up with barely a second thought, putting it back in the box of practically spotless tools and picked up another, smaller, one. He let Gizmo give a nod of approval before handing it to him. Gizmo tightened the bolt on the skeleton frame for his robot, a mix of nano-bots and the surrounding land-scape would complete the rest of his creation. It was skinny, spindly, and jointed in so many places that it almost resembled a jungle gym standing erect but there was a reason for that. The beauty of the design was that you could carry the whole shebang in a backpack, and probably carry whatever it left of the competition out in one to. You only needed a hand-full of the nano's to start the process, and then the stepped up programing to reproduce and adapt would take over. He would have cried with joy if Mammoth wasn't in the room and Jynx was still on campus.

"Do you think it's true?"

"Huh?" Gizmo blinked. "What's true?"

"What everyone's saying... you know... about Jynx?"

Gizmo's head hit the back of the creeper trolley as he stared up at the interlocking mesh-work of metal tubes and pistons of his 'baby'. Why couldn't everything be as simple as rocket science?

Finally, after pondering the complexities of teenage angst and school-yard dramas, he bit back the automatic response ("those Skuz-brains wouldn't know the truth if it walked up to them, kicked 'em in the butt, and then had its way with their Lover!" (1), which, while true for the most part, never the less wouldn't have lifted Mammoths spirits.)

"No." He said, "Jynx wouldn't have turned traitor on us without a good reason. She would personally beat herself to death with one of her books if she did that."

Mammoth managed a weak smile at the other boys statement. It was probably true... they where the only family Jynx had, as far as he knew. The girl would always get a sad expression whenever they tried to bring the subject up. Mammoth hadn't been hesitant at sharing, his parents had basically given him and his sister up after they got their powers, right after Mammoth had broken his school mates neck for cracking on his sister. NO ONE messed with his sister. Luckily Dr. Jace, the woman who had claimed custody of the two, was kind and worked almost tirelessly towards helping them to understand their abilities.

Gizmo had been reluctant with his story. What they could make out from the muttered phrases was that his parents had died and he'd been offered the chance of attending H.I.V.E under the scholarship of a mysterious benefactor. He still didn't know who had taken so much interest in a under-grown orphan.

Jynx had refused to talk about it at all.

Come to think about it, that said a lot about her.

Forest near Canadian border, 11:30 P.M. (Earlier)

If saying nothing told you a lot about Jynx, then she must have been spouting out her life's story to Ace as she lay pale on the dark grass. Ace growled and viciously kicked at a pebble, watching it skitter and thump away into the un-mowed grass. As far as he knew, Jynx should be waking up. He had managed to close the wound with his claws, (due to some carefully aimed lasers) but she may have already lost to much blood to survive. Reason number one why he needed a healer, and why there where currently two very awkward Meta-humans sharing what little shelter the drenched tree he'd propped Jynx under had to offer and trying to make sense of what he had just told them. Donna was toying with an odd stone she had picked up, poking her finger through the hole in the middle absentmindedly, and trying to keep Impulse from running off. So far she was winning, since it's kind of hard to run of when someones sitting on your midsection. Impulse stopped struggling after awhile, and contented himself by singing something under his breath. Ace had been pacing for nearly an hour, trying to figure out what to do.

Finally Ace sat down beside Jynx in what protection the rain-drenched tree had to offer. The rain had let up on it's vicious onslaught a little, the mist made from the violent ricocheting drops skulked near the ground evilly. He was going to try talking to her, maybe she'd be able to find the way back that way. He picked a long blade of spiky grass and started toying with it. Due to a random set of rules instilled in the back-paths of every sentient being who had a language, whenever someone is asked to talk, the vocal cords will freeze up.

"Your being totally unfair you know." He finally said. "Here you go, getting my hopes up and I don't even get to hear you sing. That's breach of contract Missy!" He said, giving the comatose girl a half-smile. "Don't you know how to keep a promise?"

No answer. Donna looked up, thinking he was talking to her, but decided against saying anything.

"I was totally serious about the Incredible A&J you know, I would really like to start some sort of band. Preferably with you. I WAS in one, but... we kinda had a falling out. I ended up leaving for a so called brighter horizon." he said, looking up at the dripping leaves.

No answer.

"So... what was it like at H.I.V.E? The cafeteria food good? It have to be... I think two evil's cancel each-other out, or something. Or maybe that's why your Head was so good at his job, eating evil Cafeteria food would be enough to make anyone want to take over the world." (2) He laughed, "I know this girl, Monet's her name, got a lot of attitude, anyway, her chocolate chip cookies could be taught to dance the Tango. Of course that might have been Tarot's fault... but that was never proved. Like the noodle incident." He shuddered.

No battle-hardened soldier, no rabid berserker, not even the Mad King Lopashwaltz of the Planet Dremnar (Inventor of the classic 'There's this guy, right? And he standing in front of two doors, and there's these two guards, and one of them never tells the truth, right? And one door leads to freedom and the other goes towards certain death, and he doesn't know which is which, and he only gets one question to ask one guard, so, like, what does he ask?' riddle. Usually with live demonstrations.) could have stayed upright with all their lunch inside them at what Empath had found that dark Sunday morning. It had taken them weeks to get the smell of ravioli out of the boys locker room.

Drops of water splattered against his face, the rainfall from out from the tree ganging up in the leaves during it's free fall to earth distorted the eight sided birthmark.

"I know this sweet little Arcade down in Cali, great place. Even has a Karaoke machine. Got some Cyndi Lauper on there... I'd like to hear you sing 'Money Changes Everything', ya know, since you promised you'd- well, practically promised anyway. You even look a little like-"

"Gnh..."

Ace whipped around. Donna jerked in surprise as two luminous orbs suddenly focus on her.

"Did you say something?" He asked.

"What? No! I think she did." Donna said, nodding towards the girl.

Jynx was blinking in the dim moonlight reflecting off of the raindrops. It was pale, but probably brighter than the back of her eyelids. It had stopped raining a little while ago, but every now and then a gust of wind would knock some water onto the teens sitting under the tree. A fat, wet drop splashed onto Aces hair, splashing minute drops into his eyes. Ace scrambled over, blocking the recovering girls view. Jynx turned her face away form him as some water from his brown and black mane splashed onto her face.

"Gah! You smell like wet dog!" Jynx said, slithering out from under him.

"Dog? Hey, no fair! My mutations Lion-based! And anyway, your not one ta talk lady! You look like something-"

"-that cat dragged in?" Jynx replied in a curved tone of voice, "You've got a one track mind, you know that?"

"Oh sure. I'M the one with the one-track mind!" Ace said, "Okay, derailing the train of thought here, why are you alive?"

Jynx blinked, "I'm alive?"

"Unless we've all suddenly joined the choir invisible, yes, your alive." Donna said.

Jynx turned to look at her, her eyes revolving freely, flicking up and down, and down again as she noticed Impulse.

"Uh... Why are you sitting on your brother?" She asked.

"She's not my sister." "He's NOT my brother."

Jynx blinked, "Okay, whatever you say... Who are you then?"

Donna held out her hand, "Donna Troy, recently discovered mutant who could REALLY use some therapeutic skull-bashing right now." Jynx gave her a cautious half-smile and shook her hand. "So you the girl who was sitting on top of the mutie-trade?" She asked.

Jynx snorted, "Yeah, for nearly six years! You'd think I'd have noticed something by then."

"Sometimes your brain disregards what it doesn't want to believe." Impulse said quietly.

Donna froze, "Did... did you just say something philosophical?" She asked.

"That? That wasn't philosophical, heh, I know a song about hedgehogs that'll make you REALLY think!" Impulse said.

"I'm sure you do." Donna rolled her eyes. "This is Bart, I think he like the name Impulse better. Just ignore everything he says, and you'll get along fine."

Impulse muttered something. Donna smacked him.

"OW! I thought you where going to ignore me!" He said.

"Except when you threaten to sing." Donna said, "I'm not suicidal."

"Back to the matter at hand," Ace said, "Why are you alive?"

"I think I got a healing spell off, or something." Jynx said, "That's about all I can say."

Ace raised his eyebrows, You seemed pretty out-of-touch with the world when I hauled you out of the H.I.V.E pit.And you where on my back. How could you have said something without me knowing it? Out loud he said, "Your breathing, that's all I need to know. Next item on the list, what are we going to do now?"

"We can't leave them down there." Jynx said, "We can't. If it's the last thing I do, we're getting them out of there."

Ace sighed, "Okay, problem number one, We're four against, oh, let make it a nice even three-thousand men AGAINST us, how are we going to get, say three hundred meta-humans and the like out without getting killed?"

They thought for awhile.

"If we get them out, won't they want to stay that way?" Impulse asked quietly.

Donna nodded, "I think they would." She said.

"Then won't they fight for it?"

There was silence.

"That... is brilliant." Jynx said. "We go in, free the captives, and fight our way out!"

"What could go wrong?" Ace said, putting his head in his hands.

Down Town Middleton, 11:56 P.M.

Dead Girl, despite her best efforts, was enjoying herself. True, she would have to get back on the jet later, (she had even worked herself into a good funk for a couple of minutes,) but right now she was on frim ground that would probably not explode and leave her stranded on an island with A), Other Zombies, or B), some man eating thing. Granted, if something did try to eat her she would not agree with it, but still. Warren was grumbling a little about all the girls that kept looking at him and giggling, and then would giggle harder if he looked at them, but he had seemed to brighten up away from Kurt and Jesse and out in the open air. Jean had lightened up and even bought a new shirt and pants set for herself. (Something which Kitty seemed to think she needed desperately.) Dead Girl had had her first taste, (as far as she knew,) of Chinese food and was currently woofing down her third helping of General Tso's chicken. Jamie watched in amazement.

"And I thought Kurt could pack it away." he said.

Dead Girl grinned and wiped her mouth off. "The best part is that I don't have to worry about gaining weight." she said. "Why did we split up with Kurt and Jesse anyway?" she asked.

"We didn't split up, they both had to go and they said they would meet us in town." Jean said. "I gave them a description of who we're looking for."

Warren gave another group of twittering girls the evil eye, "So who ARE we looking for Jean?" he asked, "REIGN IN YOUR HORMONS YOU HARPES!" he shouted. This only caused the girls to giggle harder.

Jean looked around at the shops. For a city that got attacked on a semi-weekly basis, Middleton had a surprisingly active night-life.

"Laurie Collins, her mother said that she could project pheromones." Jean said.

"Wait, her mother? As in, someone was seriously willing to give us their kid without hours of us talking at them and/or some convenient villain attacking? Even if we do end up seriously warping them?" Jamie said, in awe. "I thought Rhane, Jubes and I where the only ones who's parents actually consented to it first try! And Rhane and Jubilee's parents backed out a few months later!"

Jean shrugged, "Personally, I'm just glad I won't have to be the resident role-model on this run." she said. "Not that we're going to make a good impression with a cranky Angel and a sleep-deprived Scott anyway." she muttered.

"If you wanted to make a good impression, you shouldn't have brought Remy." Warren said. "Oh, great, one of them is pointing!" He said, as a auburn-haired girl indicated him with her finger.

Jean looked around, "Where IS Remy anyway?" she said, "Oh God, he's not flirting is he? I REALLY don't want to have to repair another wall while simultaneously prying Rogue off of him again!"

"Relax Jean, he's just looking in the book store." Jamie pointed.

Remy was indeed in said store, or rather walking out of it with a full bag swinging next to his leg. When he re-connected with the group he opened the bag to show them what he bought.

"Far-side collections?" Warren asked. "What do you need those for?"

"Dere for Chere." Remy said, closing the bag again, "Remy figured she could use dem, wid her mother and all."

Rogue still hadn't quite recovered from hearing that she was going to have another sibling soon, especially since the siblings father was Zartan. Long story short, she was temporarily banned from the Danger-room while Forge either ordered or made replacement parts. He was currently having a lot of difficulty with the part he so technically called, 'The Eye-ball Pizza-thingy that makes the saw-blades and artificial alligators work.'. If you had really good hearing you could hear a distant thumping from his lab as he 'adjusted' the part via a sledgehammer or his forehead.

"I didn't know Rogue liked Far-side." Dead Girl said, scraping up the last morsel of deep-fried sauce-smothered chicken.

"Chere loves da t'ings." Remy said, "She says it's scary how close he gets ta life at de institute."

"Rogues got a valid point." Dead girl said, "I mean, half of the stuff he writes about is frighteningly close to our lives." She pulled a thick volume out, leafing through it in mild interest.

"So where is she?" Jamie asked, looking around at the neon lit signs.

"The portable Cerebro we have in the Blackbird put her at her school." Jean said, "We're heading there now."

"Do you think we could get there a little faster?" Warren said, "I think one of them is writing out her phone number. And that guy at the hair salon keeps looking at me."

"It's only a few more blocks." Jean said, "We need to turn right up ahead and-"

"Or we could jus' follow de column o' smoke." Remy said, pointing.

They followed his finger, all except for Warren who was trying to explain to a young lady that he was VERY busy on the up-coming Friday.

It was a big column. At least two-hundred feet. It was amazing that no-one else had noticed it by this point.

"We could, but we don't know that's the school-" Jean began, only to be cut short by Jamie.

"Um, Jean? Laurie's a potential student, is their anyway that it CAN'T be where she is?"

Jean sighed. "Okay, pry Warren away from his fan-club, let's go save Laurie."

Location Unknown. Time Unknown.

The room was dark. Not hard to believe, considering that they where nearly one-hundred feet below the ground. However, the occupants of the room could at least have turned some lights on.

"Sir. I have some bad news on 8674348. It seems our 'ally' has decided that they would be better suited for his... private gain."

Papers rustled absentmindedly.

"Is that so? What about the other one?"

"9047883 is still on track. It is suspected that the subjects powers are beginning to emerge, they are experiencing headaches."

A grunt was heard, trying to indicate the owners interest.

"They should be finished by tomorrow, mid-afternoon at the latest."

"Very good." The voice said.

(1) A pretty much direct quote from Thanksgiving Madness by L1701E, one of my Favs!

(2)This is largely true, and Ace did very well to figure it out. In the proud tradition of H.I.V.E Headmasters and Headmistresses, the cafeteria food was (on any given day,) either Houte Cuisine or moved about the plate of it's own free will. Many successful Super Villains and Bankers have been turned out of H.I.V.E after have to alternatively or randomly club their brownie to death. Incidentally, Dressels Lunch Trays and Other Fine Cafeteria Items does a very brisk trade with H.I.V.E.