Sam, Dani, Roberto, and Rahne were in high spirits when they returned to the apartment Roberto's parents owned in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. They had mounted a successful rescue, delivered a blow to their tormentors, and met with Charles Xavier and the X-Men. It had easily been the best day they had had since they first met in Emma Frost's facility.

"I'm telling you, Sam," Roberto said as they stepped through the doorway, "you stood totally ask Rogue out. You've both got that southern charm thing going for you."

"I think I'd rather date someone who didn't drain my strength every time we kissed," Sam responded.

"Oh, come on," Roberto insisted. "The danger's what makes it exciting."

"Well, I-"

Sam and the others stopped and stared in confusion at the figures sitting on the floor of the living room. Illyana was sitting in front of little Bo. The little girl was clapping her hands together before extending one hand towards Illyana, who was doing her best to mirror her movements and failing miserably.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

Illyana looked up at them as Bo shifted to hide herself behind her. "Hi. Bo was trying to teach me how to play patty cake."

"That's not what he meant," Dani said. "Why is she here? You were supposed to take her to her father."

Illyana began to stand up. "It turns out her father is a –" she began angrily, before looking down at Bo. "Ah, it turns out he has certain opinions about mutants."

"Uch," Dani muttered, closing her eyes in frustration as the rest looked at each other in concern.

"So what do we do with her?" Roberto asked.

"We've got to take her back to Xavier's," Rahne answered. "There's no way she can stay here."

Bo grabbed Illyana's leg and gripped it tightly, letting out a small whimper. Illyana patted her on the head and looked at Dani with a silent request.

Dani rubbed the spot between her eyes as if she had a headache. "It's late," she said. "She can stay the night, but tomorrow we're taking her to Xavier's first thing."

Lockheed leapt onto Illyana's shoulder as soon as she left her room after tucking Bo in. The small dragon was intelligent and had decided on his own to keep out of sight so as not to frighten the child. He chirped happily now that it was safe to be with Illyana again.

Illyana's companions were not as happy with her.

They were all sitting on the couch watching a baseball game on TV, though Roberto found it boring and was starting to doze off. They kept the volume down so as not to wake Bo up.

Sam picked up the remote and set the TV to mute as Illyana came out.

"You ok sleeping on the floor tonight?" Dani asked.

"Yeah," Illyana answered. "I've slept on worse."

She sat down on the floor in front of the couch and began to watch the game with the others.

"I don't think she'll be any more willing to leave tomorrow."

"Doesn't matter," Dani declared. "Xavier's is better equipped to take care of her than we are."

Illyana frowned, but did not respond. Sam did instead.

"Are they, though? They don't have any grades below middle school there."

"Kind of hard to have a school for younger mutants if you don't find out you're a mutant before puberty," Roberto said.

"I've been wondering about that," Dani said. "How can Bo already be manifesting her powers if she's so young?"

"Guess there are exceptions," Illyana replied.

"Doesn't change the fact that new mutants are dangerous."

There was a collective wince from the group as Dani's statement brought back painful memories of the times their own powers first manifested.

Sam had caused a cave-in in a mine, burying his father alive along with most of the other miners. Roberto had burned his girlfriend to death. And Rahne had killed her pastor, the man who raised her, when he attacked her and attempted to beat her to death.

Dani's powers had tormented her friends when they were trapped together in Emma Frost's facility and had left Rahne with a permanent scar on her neck.

And then there was Illyana, whose mutant power of teleportation seemed benign compared to the rest of their abilities, but whose sorcerous powers were another beast entirely.

"Just because Emma Frost said something doesn't make it true," Illyana said in response to Dani.

"Point taken," Dani said.

Manuel stepped out of his new room and took a good long look at his surroundings.

The mansion which served as the main campus for the school had been in the Xavier family for generations. It had a rustic, historic look that was the complete opposite of the sterile, metallic halls of the Essex Corp. facility he had been in earlier that day.

Manuel walked towards the student kitchen, where he found Piotr Rasputin pouring himself a glass of milk.

The Russian mutant turned to face Manuel. His six-and-a-half-foot frame towered not only over Manuel, but over everyone else at the school.

"You are one of the new arrivals, yes?" he asked in a very strong Russian accent.

"Yeah. I'm Manuel."

"Students should be in bed at this hour, Manuel," Piotr said. "Even new students."

"Sorry," Manuel said. "It's just that after being cooped up underground for so long I feel like I need to stretch my legs."

"Da, I understand." Piotr finished his glass and put his enormous hand on Manuel's shoulder. "Would you like a tour of the school?"

"Sure," Manuel answered as Piotr led him back into the hall.

"So you're the guy to turns into steel?" Manuel asked.

"Da. I mean yes."

"That must have been quite a shock the first time it happened."

"It was, but it was also a miracle."

"A miracle?"

Piotr looked to the side uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but I would rather not discuss it."

Manuel looked up at Piotr with his most charming smile. "Come on, you can tell me anything."

Piotr looked into Manuel's eyes and seemed to grow more comfortable.

"All right. It was about three years ago. I was working on my family's farm back in Russia when I hear my parents screaming. Someone had left a tractor running and it was racing across the field to where my baby sister was playing. I ran over to pick her up, but I wasn't fast enough to get us out of the way in time. If I hadn't transformed in that moment we both would have been killed."

"So you were a hero from the start," Manuel observed.

Piotr closed his eyes, lost in a sad memory. "If only."

Manuel glanced at a painting on the wall which depicted a 19th century ancestor of Charles Xavier. "So what else can you tell me about this place?"

Rahne rolled over in her sleep. She could sleep almost anywhere, but it was nice to have a real bed to lie on with comfortable blankets and pillows after spending months sleeping on a cot in Emma Frost's facility. The accommodations at Roberto's parents' apartment were nicer than anything she had experienced before, having spent almost her entirely life in the orphanage of a poor church.

"Rahne …"

The Scottish girl opened one eye at the sound of her old pastor's voice.

"Why do you consort with a witch?" the voice whispered.

Rahne covered her mouth as she took a big yawn. She slowly pushed off the covers and got up, slipping her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers that were lying next to her bed.

She stepped out of her room and walked over to the next bedroom. She slowly turned the doorknob a and opened the door slightly.

She saw Dani sitting up in bed, taking short, staggered breaths as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Hey, you OK?" Rahne asked. Dani looked up to her, her eyes red and puffy.

"I'm sorry," Dani said. "Did I wake you up?"

"Kind of," Rahne replied.

"I guess … I guess I don't have it under control when I'm so upset."

"It was just a whisper," Rahne assured her. "Nothing like the past times. And now that I know what it is it doesn't scare me."

Dani took two deep breaths to try to calm down. "Don't tell Illyana. She's only here cause she thinks I'm in complete control."

Rahne scowled at the mention of Illyana. "Don't worry. I won't tell her."

She sat down on the bed next to Dani. "You want to talk about it?"

Dani wiped her eyes with her sleeves. "I was having this dream."

"A nightmare?"

"No. Actually. It was a good dream. I was with my father. We were on a boat fishing, and we just talked. I was telling him about the new friends I made, about you. He told me how happy he was for me, and he just looked so happy. We hugged …"

Dani stopped, her voice become stuck in her throat as she began to sob again.

"And then I woke up, and it was all gone … just a dream. I was here, and my dad was still dead. And I just couldn't stop crying."

Rahne put her harm around Dani and pulled her against her shoulder.

"I don't know why I'm acting like this,' Dani said. 'All this time I haven't cried, and now …"

"Maybe you just haven't been able to process it until now," Rahne said. "With all the craziness we've been through, maybe only now you can finally stop and look back at what happened."

"Maybe," Dani said as she wiped her eyes again. She sniffled, and Rahne went to get some tissues.

"Thanks," Dani said after she had blown her nose.

"You don't have to feel bad about crying," Rahne assured her. "You've been through a lot, and letting it out is good for you."

Dani chuckled. "Some badass mutant I turned out to be."

Rahne grinned. "Even badass mutants are allowed to have feelings." She leaned close to Dani and kissed her.

Roberto was flipping pancakes, bopping his head to music from his iPhone. Lockheed hopped onto the counter next to him and began to sniff the batter.

"Whoa, little buddy," Roberto said. "Sorry, but I don't think pancakes are part of a growing dragon's balanced breakfast."

"He's fully grown," Illyana said. She had just left her room with Bo, who was still a little sleepy and rubbed her eye.

Roberto looked down at Lockheed. "So you're a big boy dragon, huh? I was hoping you'd end up big as a house one day. That would have been awesome."

"I've met a few dragons that big," Illyana said. "Trust me, you don't want to see that kind of dragon."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Mmmh," Rahne said as she sniffed the air, her enhanced senses giving her a better sense of smell than the rest of them. "I love your pancakes, Berto."

"Take as many as you want. There's plenty to go around."

They sat down around the kitchen table. Bo turned out to be a little short for the chairs they had, so Illyana put the child on her lap.

"Soon as we're done eating, we're taking the munchkin to Xavier's," Sam said. "That OK with you, 'Yana?"

Bo looked up at Illyana with a worried look in her eyes.

"Don't worry," Illyana assured her. "They're really nice at Xavier's. You're gonna have a lot of fun there."

"Can I ask you something, Bo?" Dani said. "How long were you in that place we took you from yesterday?"

Bo's face scrunched up in confusion as she tried to understand the question. She looked up at Illyana again.

Illyana looked away in thought for a moment before looking back at Bo.

"How many sleeps?" she asked.

Bo began counting on her fingers. When she was done, she held up both hands, showing seven raised fingers.

"A week," Dani observed.

"Guess she was one of the more recent arrivals," Sam said.

"So, what can you do?" Roberto asked.

"What's your special power?" Illyana clarified. "Why were you sent there in the first place?"

Bo made a sad almost puppy-like face. "I … hurt … mother …"

Sam closed his eyes, Roberto let out a deep breath, and Dani gave Illyana a look which said: "I told you so."

"It's not your fault," Rahne assured the child. "You didn't do anything wrong."

There was an annoyed squeak from below the table. Lockheed had grown frustrated at the lack of food being given to him and decided to take matters into his own claws. He leapt onto the table and seized the top pancake off the main tray in his beak-like mouth.

Bo screamed in fright as she got her first good look at the diminutive dragon up-close. A ribbon of energy shot out of her back, striking Illyana in the right arm and knocking their chair over.

Everyone rose out of their seats in shock. Roberto ran over to Illyana and offered his hand to pull her up.

Illyana attempted to lift her right arm, but frowned when it would not move. She held out her left arm instead.

"You OK?" Roberto asked when Illyana was back on her feet.

Illyana nodded, but said: "I can't feel my arm at all."

She looked around for Bo, who had run off to huddle in the corner. She knelt down in front of Bo just as she had the previous day, only this time with her right arm hanging uselessly at her side.

"It's OK. I'm not mad at you. You didn't hurt me. Look."

Illyana raised her left hand, which became surrounded with a silver fire. Bo watched in amazement, the silver flames reflected in her wide eyes, as Illyana held her hand to her right should hand began to move it down her arm.

The flames enveloped her arm, but without singing her clothes or her flesh. Finally, the flames disappeared after Illyana had run them over her right hand.

"See?" Illyana asked, flexing her fingers to show that her hand was completely healed. "All better."

Bo began to relax, finally understanding that she was not in trouble for her display of power.

"Lockheed," Illyana called out, "get over here and say you're sorry."

The dragon gulped down the last piece of the pancake he had taken before fluttering down to the floor in front of Bo.

"See?" Illyana asked Bo as she showed the little girl how to pet Lockheed. "Lockheed's not scary. He won't hurt you. He's like a cat."

"Kitty?" Bo asked.

Illyana smiled at her. "Yeah. Just like a kitty."

Dani crossed her arms and scowled.

"What is it?" Sam asked her.

"I don't think we can take Bo to Xavier's anymore," Dani said.

"You sure?"

Dani glanced again at Bo, who was starting to laugh at the sounds Lockheed made.

"Bo's been through a lot of changes recently, and now she's stuck in a country where she doesn't know the language very well."

"I know, but you're the one who said Xavier's is better equipped to take care of her than we are."

"It's another big change for her, putting her with strangers right when she found someone who makes her feel safe. I don't have the heart to do it."

Sam put his hand to his chin. "I see your point. It does seem mean."

"But we don't have clothes or toys for her," Rahne pointed out.

"We can buy those," Roberto said. "Money's no issue, and I've got no problem with letting her stay, seeing as this is my place."

Dani sighed. "I guess we need to stock up on ice cream and cotton candy," she said sarcastically.

Illyana stood up and turned to them with a bewildered look.

"Wait," she asked. "You can eat cotton?"

The others looked at each other and began to laugh.

Charles Xavier sipped his whiskey as he waited. His large-brimmed hat hid his baldness from the other customers at the bar, and a gentle telepathic suggestion kept people from taking a closer look and recognizing him as one of the most famous men in the world.

He did not have to wait long before the person he come to meet arrived.

After all these years, Xavier was still in love with Moira Magtaggert, the ex-CIA agent who helped him form the original X-Men team.

"I got your message, Charles. What is this about?" she asked.

Xavier ordered a scotch for Moira before turning to her and answering.

"I received about 20 new students yesterday. They were all being held prisoner and experimented on by a company called the Essex Corporation."

Moira nodded. "I've heard of them. Essex has ties to many government agencies, especially in the Defense Department. They recently overtook Trask Industries in terms of R&D for anti-mutant weaponry."

"They do more than that, Moira. They take mutant children and use them as living weapons."

"That would violate the ban on mutant trafficking," Moira said.

"I'm certain they violate all sorts of laws."

"What do you want from me?" Moira asked.

"I'd like you to use your intelligence and governmental contacts to dig up whatever dirt you can on Essex. I plan on taking this issue to the president and to certain sympathetic congressmen and I need to build a solid case if we're to shut them down."

"I'll see what I can do. By the way, Charles, why are we meeting here and not at the mansion?"

"I didn't want to chance any of the X-Men hearing us discuss the other matter."

"Other matter?"

Xavier took a deep breath before continuing. "Illyana has been found."

Moira gave him a surprised smile. "Charles, that's wonderful! Peter must be so relieved."

"Peter doesn't know yet."

Moira leaned back as Xavier continued. "If she wanted to come back to us, she would have already."

"I don't understand," Moira said. "Illyana's too young to be making that kind of decision."

"I don't understand it either, but she's not the same little girl she was just six months ago."

Xavier put down his glass and stared at the ice cubes inside. "I've dealt with mutants, aliens, time travelers, giant robots, but I've never had a case like this, and I don't know what to do."

"The great Charles Xavier, at a loss for how to respond? I never thought I'd live to see the day."

"What do you think I should do?" Xavier asked. "How can I not tell Peter that I know where his sister is? On the other hand, how do I do it without forcing a meeting she may not be ready for and may not want?"

"If she's in a position to make the choice to stay away," Moira said, "then I guess your response depends on her reason for doing so."

Xavier nodded sadly. "I have so many questions. But I'm afraid of the answers to all of them."