"This stinks!" Bobby shouted as he punched a pillow in disgust. "A Hellion? We're letting a Hellion stay? There goes all the class at the Xavier Institute!" He told the assembled boys as they lay atop their beds and sleeping bags.
"Gee thanks." Doug said dryly.
"What was that?" Fred asked as he crammed another smore in his mouth.
"Then again…" Bobby groaned.
"Yeah, like you've really added to the class around here." Lance snapped. "You ice up the girls bathroom every chance you get, play pranks even Pietro would find childish and let's not forget, get all the New Mutants—including Jamie—drunk!"
"Yeah, you're just mad 'cause the Hellions stuck you in Emma Frost's body and made you look even dumber than usual." Todd said. Bobby fumed as their shots hit home.
"Scott! Sam! Come on, you two are the leaders of the X-Men and the New Mutants! You talk to Rahne! Tell her to stop being friends with Catseye!"
"Are you completely insane or just stupid, Bobby?" Sam asked.
"He'll plead the Fifth on that." Arcade said.
"I can't tell Rahne not to be friends with someone! It's not what friends—or team leaders—do!" Sam continued.
"Besides Iceman, if you want to tell a girl who can turn into a wolf that she can't have a friend be my guest. Just don't get me involved." Scott said.
"You're not going to win this Bobby." Peter said. "It's hard enough trying to tell a mutant sorceress who rules a dimension of demons no. I don't think you'll have much better luck with Rahne."
"I don't believe it!" Bobby exclaimed. "Don't any of you agree with me?"
"Not really." "No." "Nope." "Not a chance." "Yeah, right." "Uh-uh." "Got any threes?"
"No offense Bobby, but the fact that you're so keen for getting rid of Catseye is a great argument for keeping her around." Everett said. "You're never right about anything!"
"That's not true!" Bobby said hotly.
"Name one time you were ever right about anything." Fred asked, folding his arms.
"…"
"Your Honor, the prosecution rests." Pietro said with a smirk.
"I'm not that fond of the idea of Rahne being so close to one our enemies." Scott admitted. "Especially considering the last time that happened." He shot a death glare at Lance. "But I'm not about to go interfering in someone else's life."
"Since when?" Lance demanded.
"Yeah, Cyke not interfering in someone else's life would be a first." Todd said. "After Lance and Kitty…"
"Hey, you don't suppose that Rahne and Catseye are actually—OW!" Ray yelped as Sam punched him in the back of the head. "Hey!"
"Thank you!" Roberto quipped.
"You're a pig, you know that?" Peter said, looking disgustedly at Ray.
"No kidding." Lance said in a rare moment of agreement.
"What do we even know about her anyway?" Bobby kept arguing.
"Well, she didn't try to attack us at that therapy camp." Scott said. "Or attack the school when Jean was trying to convince the school board to let us stay at Bayville High. Other than that though…"
"Doug, you know more about Catseye than any of us here, why don't you give us the low down?" Shane asked him.
"Well," Doug said as he scratched the back of his neck. "She was always pretty nice, not like Monet or Bevatron…I guess if you're asking if she's a mini-Frost or some human-hating psycho, then the answer is no. She isn't an Empath-like manipulator or deceiver either. She's just…well if Xavier had gotten to her first she'd have made a great X-Man. I don't think Rahne has anything to worry about from her."
"Yeah, right!" Bobby snorted. "I bet you anything she's trying to weasel important information out of Rahne!"
"That would be quite an achievement," Fred said sarcastically. "Considering all the girls are there with them and what important information does Rahne even have anyway? That you wear SpongeBob underpants? Everyone already knows that!" Everyone snickered as Bobby's face turned red.
"Mark my words." Bobby insisted. "As we speak, Catseye is using Rahne to gather information on all of us! Information that could lead to our doom!"
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"They all grew tails?" Catseye laughed, hugging her sides as she sat on her sleeping bag in an oversized t-shirt. "From cookies?"
"Well, Kitty did make them." Althea pointed out. The rest of the girls—and Xi and the babies—were in their nightclothes too. "Why they let her I still can't figure out."
"Because we're stupid." Rogue sighed. "Very, very stupid."
"No doubt." Wanda snickered.
"Yeah, we keep letting you guys visit." Jean pointed out.
"Be nice." Dead Girl said.
"Stop laughing!" Kitty fumed at Catseye. "It's not funny!"
"Yes it is." Spyder disagreed.
"So Emma Frost is your foster mother…" Tabitha mused. "That must be rough."
"Try having Mystique as your biological mother." Rogue groaned.
"Or having Magneto as a father." Wanda seethed.
"Or being created by Dr. Mindbender." Xi said.
"Miss Frost not bad." Catseye said. "I not know why everyone say she is." She said innocently. Everyone groaned.
"You're kidding right?" Kitty asked. "Let's start with the fact that she's a complete b—"
"So Cat, er, Sharon." Lina said, cutting Kitty off. "Why did you save Rahne from the Dreadnoks?" Sharon blinked.
"Rahne is…like me." Sharon said. "And she nice, funny, kind…and isn't helping what sisters for?"
"SISTERS?" Everyone shouted as they turned to Rahne.
"Not literally." Rahne said. "It's sort of an honorary thing. Hey, when you go on a villain-bashing bender with someone for an entire day, you end up getting pretty close to them."
"She has a point." Angelica said. "But I really didn't think you'd end up going on another one! And without the Triplets!"
"Neither did I." Rahne groaned. "But it wasn't all bad." She said as she held up a Disney t-shirt as evidence.
"That is pretty nice." Rogue admired.
"Yeah I also got some nice coffee mugs…" Rahne blinked. "What is it about that place?"
"Ask the Professor. Maybe he'll tell you." Althea snorted. Rina looked at Sharon.
"You have formidable skills." She admitted after hearing of her exploits with Rahne. "If you ever have some free time, perhaps you and I could pay Hydra a visit…"
"…And if you ever want to go after Cobra again…" Xi offered.
"What is with you guys?" Kitty demanded angrily. "She's a Hellion! Did you all forget that? Remember what she did to that Purist base? And to those people! How can we like, sit around and have a sleepover with a murderer?"
"Kitty…" Jean said. "Let it go. This isn't the time or the place to—"
"To what, do something about a mutant who abused her powers to kill people?" Kitty argued hotly.
"You mean like what I nearly did when my powers evolved?" Jean asked. "Or Rogue? Or Logan, X23, or Xi before we met them? Or Dead Girl? Do you want us to leave too?"
"Kitty. Sometimes mutants lash out when they feel threatened." Althea said, trying to keep her face neutral. "I'm not defending it but I do understand it. Just drop it."
"I don't believe this?" Kitty said, exasperated. "She—"
"Oh, put a sock in it!" Spyder said as she hit Kitty with her electric webbing.
"Hey!" Dani said standing up. "Do you want nightmares for the next five years? Because I'd be happy to—"
"STOP!" Sharon shouted, getting everyone's attention in a hurry. "Catseye not wanted to cause trouble. Catseye leaving." She said as she stood up, heading for the door.
Sharon stopped in her tracks when she felt someone tug on her shirt. Looking down she saw Penny clutching the back of her shirt in her mouth and making a whining noise.
"I don't think she wants you to leave." Dead Girl noted.
"Catseye, wait." Althea said. "We don't want you to leave. Most of us don't, anyway." She added, looking at Kitty. "Look, you helped a friend, that means we owe you. Please stay."
"Pleeeease?" Spyder pleaded. "You're cool! And I always wanted to meet a real lion…"
"Well…" Sharon grinned as she transformed into her other form, laying low to the ground to let the girl on her back.
"Wheee!" Spyder said gleefully. "Come on Penny!" She and Penny hoped on Catseye's back. "Giddyap!" She shouted as Catseye sprinted across the room. The other girls laughed and shrieked as Catseye bounded over them.
"We're next!" Quinn shouted.
"And here I thought you were always the quiet one." Althea said to Rahne as she sat down next to her. "The one who never got in trouble or caused any mischief…I thought you were a lost cause. Now you're practically a Misfit!"
"Well, we all have our off days." Rahne smiled, rolling her eyes.
"Good one!" Paige laughed and even Althea grinned at that.
"I wonder why Kitty hates Catseye." Angelica wondered.
"Maybe she's just getting territorial over her name." Rogue suggested.
"Yeah, a real cat fight." Tabitha chuckled.
"Don't go there." Rahne said. She looked around. "Tell me the truth, what do you think about me being friends with Sharon?" That provoked a rather pregnant pause from the other girls.
"Well…" Jean began. "To be honest? It's worrisome." She admitted. "She is a Hellion and that means she has to follow the orders of the Hellfire Club."
"They're not exactly nice people." Betsy pointed out.
"Don't get us wrong." Rogue said. "Catseye's not bad, heck she's easier to be around than some people I could name." She said wryly. "But even if you get along well with Catseye as a person, what happens when you have to run into Catseye the Hellion?"
"I remember something Beast once said in class. Something about what happens when good people serve bad masters." Paige said. "Even if Catseye is a good person—"
"I'd say the evidence seems to indicate that she is." Althea interjected as she pointed at Catseye, who was now giving the Triplets a ride. "The Triplets like her, which is no easy task. Spyder and the babies too."
"But she may not be able to stay a good person if she keeps working for the Hellfire Club." Paige finished. "She'll eventually have to choose between following orders and staying the person that she is." Tabitha blinked.
"Wow, you're a smart kid you know that?" She asked her.
"And it would be hard for Catseye, having to go against the Hellfire Club means having to go against Emma Frost, her mom." Dead Girl mused.
"Yeah, it'd be like one us having to go against the Professor." Dani said.
"Or the Joes." Lina added. Rahne started to look depressed.
"So, you don't think I should be friends with her." She said sadly. "I can't ask Sharon to have to choose between me and her mom, even if she is Emma Frost!"
"Can I offer you some advice?" Wanda said. "I kind of understand where Catseye is right now. Even if Frost does something she doesn't like, she'll probably be too afraid to go against her own parent. I know I was, even when I hated Magneto and what he was doing to us." She said, her face tight. "I probably should've done something sooner, when he tried to kill Toad or when he tried experimenting on Lance and the others again. But I didn't."
"I guess what I'm trying to say is," Wanda continued as she put a comforting hand on Rahne's shoulder, "Is that if even Pietro and I could break with our parent, Catseye can too. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or even next year, but someday. You two won't be on opposite sides forever."
"Thank you, Wanda." Rahne whispered in surprise as she wiped at her eyes.
"Just when you think you know someone." Rogue said lightly as she regarded Wanda. "What's next, sisterly bonding?"
"Don't push it." Wanda told her.
"Speaking of which." Lina said to Rahne. "Catseye made you her sister? How'd that happen?"
"Well when we weren't tearing through our enemies we got to talking. We have a lot in common. I mean, all the bad jokes about having an animal as a part of us…
"I know what you mean." Lina grumbled. "One more bad joke about Mothra and I'll just scream."
"We should really start a club about that." Rahne said. "Isn't it just maddening the way everyone harps on the fact that—"
"Getting back on topic," Angelica drawled. "What else did you talk about to make you guys bond that fast?"
"Well, we both have foster mothers, similar mutations, insensitive and stupid teammates, er, not you guys." Rahne added quickly. "I mean like Bobby and Ray."
"We get ya." Tabitha said. "So, keep going! You two talk about boys?"
"Well…" Rahne turned red in embarrassment.
"I knew it!" Tabitha crowed. "Dish girl!" She said. Rahne's face took on a pained look.
"Um, Tabby, maybe we shouldn't talk about this." Lina said, silently mouthing the word 'Aiden' to her. Tabitha winced.
"It's okay." Rahne sighed. "He was actually one of the things that came up when I was talking to Sharon. I told her the whole thing."
"Yeah?" Althea prodded. "What happened?"
"Let me put it this way. After Aiden attacked me at Disneyland, Sharon decided to pay him back. With interest."
"Sweet." Dead Girl said.
"Nothing brings two girls together like joint hatred of a guy." Wanda said. "Look at Rogue and Belladona."
"That and their similar histories and powers." Lina agreed. "Look how easily Xi and Rina bonded."
"That's true." Rina said.
"So, um, not to put you on the spot or anything but do you have any post-you-know-who crushes?" Tabitha asked. Rahne sighed,
"I've kind of been turned off to romance after that." She said. "Besides, there isn't that many unattached guys left."
"You're right, it is pretty slim pickings around here." Dani said. "There's Ray…"
"Jerk." Nearly everyone said.
"Bobby…" Tabitha said, with similar results.
"Tim…"
"Psychopath." Betsy said.
"Roberto…Everett…and Doug." Rogue finished. "They're not so bad, but that's it, unless you want to start looking for Misfits."
"Yeah and the only unattached Misfit guy is Pietro!" Wanda said. "And Arcade, and arguably Xi."
"Some player Quicky turned out to be." Tabitha giggled.
"Maybe it's for the best that I'm not really interested in that sort of stuff right now."
"Yeah, getting your heart stomped on really takes it out of a girl." Althea agreed. "Not everyone's as lucky as me and my Toddles…" Rahne shivered.
"That's one kind of luck I'd be happy to avoid." She said.
"Is Catseye dating?" Amara asked.
"Yeah, maybe she could set you up with a nice looking Hellion." Jubilee suggested.
"Not funny, Jubilee." Said Rogue. "Besides, most of the Hellions are just knock-offs of us!"
"She's got a point." Jean said.
"Yeah, look at Monet. She's practically a Jean-clone." Tabitha said.
"She is not!" Jean snapped. "We're nothing alike!"
"Suuuure." Rogue drawled.
"Name one thing we have in common!" Jean demanded.
"Well for starters neither of you has a codename." Dani said. "And you're both telepaths and—"
"Stuck up." Spyder finished.
"Hey!" Jean protested.
"Yeah, and you know, Roulette has similar powers to Wanda." Rogue pointed out.
"And Tarot's power with cards is kind of like Remy's." Wanda said.
"Jetsream's powers are like Sam's." Althea said.
"But he isn't as cute as my Sammy." Tabitha argued.
"True." Althea conceded.
"Bevatron and Ray have the same power. And the same basic personality, the creeps." Amara said,
"Beef and Fred are alike too, though Beef is way dumber." Jean said.
"Fred is not dumb!" Lina said defensively.
"And Warpath's powers are a lot like Rogue's new strength, though his background is more like Danielle's." Paige pointed out.
"Just because we're both Indians…" Dani started to say.
"Celandine is also kind of like Jean, in that she's a telepath." Dead Girl said.
"And that leaves Rahne and Sharon." Lina finished, everyone deliberately omitting Evan. "Though she's hardly a 'knock-off.' " She said as she turned to watch as Catseye let Barney and Claudius crawl on her, still in her lion form.
"Somehow I doubt any of the others would get along as well with their counterparts as Rahne and Catseye did." Angelica pointed out.
" 'Counterparts.' That makes them sound like evil twins from a soap opera." Tabitha said.
"Our lives have been resembling soap operas for a while now, in case you haven't noticed." Rogue told her.
"It's only going to get worse." Althea said as she turned to Rahne. "How do you think Emma Frost and the Hellions will react to you and Sharon becoming friends?"
"I don't even want to think about it." Rahne moaned.
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"How can none of you know where Catseye is?" Emma Frost demanded. "She's been gone all day and you haven't even noticed?" The Hellions winced. An angry Emma Frost was never something they wanted to stick around for.
"We've looked all over the Academy." Evan said. "She isn't here."
"I'm aware of that." Frost said flatly. "If she was here, I'd be able to pick her up telepathically and we wouldn't be having this discussion."
"So what if the kitty ran away from home?" Bevatron asked. "What's the big deal?"
"Idiot." Evan hissed at him as Emma Frost's face turned dark.
" 'The big deal,' as you put it." She said as she started to give him a headache more painful than any hangover could've given him. "Is that Sharon is my daughter. I want to know where she is, who she's with, what she's doing, and why her so-called teammates haven't noticed that she was missing for an entire day!" She finished as Bevatron collapsed in pain.
Frost stared at the rest of the Hellions. "I don't care how you do it, but find Sharon. Now."