"Dr. Richards?" Grace asked, "I'm really grateful that you're letting me look through your research notes and stuff, it's really useful since my real powers depend on having the right... Inspiration, but I have to ask... Why is literally all of the research in this world regarding mutant powers and biology about killing them or taking their powers away?"

"One," Reed said while stretching his neck to twit and look at his guest, "the word you're looking for is 'figuratively.' There are certain facts of mutant biology that are known that aren't... Directly related to killing them, but..." the man cleared his throat. "The truth is, most people who are doing research into mutants aren't doing it for altruistic reasons. And most of those people have anti-mutant motivations for their research."

"But... Why though?"

"I honestly have no idea. The truth is, I don't really understand how the average person thinks. If I had to look back at history... Human beings have always acted to destroy what they perceive as a threat, even if the only thing they've done wrong is to be different." Reed set down what he was working on. "Then there are people who will use the actions of an individual to blame an entire people—your friend Ashley has a point about the silliness of considering mutants the next step in human evolution. They've been around for s long as baseline humans have, and that's a lot of time for a malevolent minority to poison everyone else's opinions of the whole people. Finally, some people will just take any excuse to hurt others."

"So... The reason there's no available research on mutants that isn't meant to hurt them is because humans are just kind of awful?"

"Well, that and people not sharing their research," Reed admitted with a shrug. "the Weapon x program is mostly interested in making stronger mutants that they can use as weapons, and I understand that you've met Mister Sinister. they keep their research private, however, and honestly, I'm not sure that I'd want to read it. You've met Sinister, you know why."

"Yeah... But, do you think that scientific knowledge that comes from... Like, if someone was tortured to death, but the person who did it learned something that could save lives, would... Never mind."

Reed looked Grace in the eye. "Knowledge is neither good nor bad, regardless of where it came from. A great deal of modern scientific knowledge comes from experiments that would rightly be considered torture and then been used toward good ends. I dare say that I wouldn't be here today if operation Paperclip hadn't given the space program an edge... But that doesn't make it okay. If you're looking for absolution, that's not how to get it."

Grace blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"When your group came here for the first time, all Val told me was that you were a recently deprogrammed child soldier... But things you said, the way the others treated you, it didn't add up. And then there was Arcade's Murder World broadcast..."

Grace did not respond.

"Not that anyone here is holding it against you. I've been informed that you weren't fully responsible for your actions and aren't currently capable of inflicting violence."

"People keep saying that, but..."

"But you feel fully responsible regardless and the constant guilt is eating at you, which is perfectly understandable. I'm reasonably certain that there's a support group for that."

"I don't need a support group... I just need to get my thoughts in order... Be nice if I could talk about it with someone who isn't involved and won't—the ghost of one of my victims is by definition involved, Little Yellow Box."

Reed elected not to comment on that. Instead, he gestured to one of the side tables, and a tool he could easily reach on his own. "I'm going to be working on this exoskeleton for at least the next couple of hours. If you'll hand me that socket wrench I'm willing to listen. No judgment."

Grace retrieved the tool in question and began "So to start with, my real name is Riley Davis. When I was very little..."