The next morning, Dani went back outside to the spot where she and Rahne had watched the rain the night before. She spotted Illyana crouched in front of the edge of the force field.
Curious, Dani approached. As she got closer, she saw a large black figure lying on the ground in front of Illyana, just a few meters on the other side of the barrier.
She stopped a few feet behind and to the right of Illyana. "Is that a bear?"
"An adult black bear," Illyana responded. "Killed some time last night."
Dani took a closer look at the carcass and nearly gagged. The beast had had its throat torn out.
"What killed it?" she asked.
"A bigger predator."
Dani looked at her skeptically. "The only bigger predator would be another bear."
"Then I guess it was another bear," Illyana said. "The other day I found a family of deer all killed in the same way. But they weren't eaten."
"What does that mean? It's killing other animals for fun?"
Illyana picked up a small rock and lightly tossed it at the barrier, which glowed orange at the impact. "More like it's killing because it's angry it can't get through the force field."
She chuckled. "Ironic. The same barrier that keeps everyone imprisoned might be what's keeping us safe from whatever's out there."
"You seem to know a lot about it," Dani observed.
"Not as much as you do, I think."
"What do you mean?"
Illyana stood up and turned to Dani. "This creature showed up the same day you did, and it's been hanging around ever since. I doubt that's a coincidence."
Dani looked down as she remembered the growling she heard when her home was destroyed and the red eyes she had seen and roar she had heard when ash filled her room.
"Do you know something about this bigger bear?"
Dani was startled out of her reverie by how close Illyana had gotten to her.
"N-no," she stammered. "I don't know anything."
Illyana's eyes narrowed as she examined Dani's face. She did not believe her.
"Are you sacred of me?"
Dani hesitated before answering. "Yes," she said softly.
"You should be," Illyana said seriously before nodding towards the bear carcass. "But I think you should be more scared of that."
Illyana began to walk back towards the main building while Dani turned and stared at the dead bear.
"Fear is perhaps the greatest obstacle mutants face in this world," Emma told them. "It is fear that leads to anti-mutant prejudice, and it is fear that often keeps young mutants from realizing their potential."
Dani shifted uncomfortably in her seat and clutched her bear pendant, and act which Rahne noticed.
"That isn't to say that fear is inherently bad," Emma continued. "A little bit of fear is healthy. It can keep us from doing something stupid and also give us a needed push. But too much fear can be paralyzing and leave you stuck where you are."
"So you're saying we should only be a little afraid of our powers?" Sam asked.
"You should respect your abilities. They are dangerous. But they are also unique and special. And if wielded properly, they can be useful."
Illyana frowned and Roberto scoffed.
"Useful? I can see how teleporting is useful, but the rest of us only have powers that are good for breaking things."
"If that is where your skills lie, is that so wrong?" Emma asked. "Even destruction can be used for a creative purpose if wielded correctly."
She glanced around the room. "Don't fear the future any more than you have to. Look forward to it, and you will find your purpose."
As the session ended and Emma and the teens began to file out of the room, Rahne stopped and looked at Dani, who was still seated and clutching her bear pendant.
"You ok?"
"I'm scared," Dani whispered.
Rahne sat down next to her. "You can tell me anything. You know that."
Dani shook her head. "You're gonna think I'm as mental as Illyana."
"That would be quite a feat. Come on, what's eating you."
Dani sighed. "When I was little, my grandfather used to tell me stories about this bear that haunted our family. He said that when we lived upright lives, the bear was smaller and farther away. But if we let ourselves be consumed by bad things like greed and fear, the bear would grow and it would come for us."
"That sounds like every story parents tell their kids about monsters who come after misbehaving children."
Dani nodded. "That's what my dad said. He told me that everyone has two bears inside them, a good bear representing all that's and a bad bear representing all that's evil, and that those bears are the only ones a person should be concerned about."
"Seems like good advice to me."
Dani took a deep breath and looked Rahne directly in the eyes. "I think my grandfather was right. It was the bear that destroyed my reservation. And I think it might have followed me here."
Rahne took Dani's hand. "If it is, then all you've got to do is not be afraid of it and it'll go away. Isn't that what your grandfather said."
Dani chuckled. "I guess you're right. If only it was so easy."
Sam sat on a stool as Roberto prepared dinner.
"You hear that talk about destruction and finding our purpose?" Sam asked. "Sure sounded like an X-Men pitch to me."
"Well, I'm not using my power for breaking or building things," Roberto said. "Soon as I'm out of here, I'm joining the business world, and if I never use my power again it'll be too soon."
"Same, 'cept I don't think I'll be joining the business world. Not unless you give me that million you said you'd spot me first."
Roberto grinned. "You've got a good memory. Don't worry. I'm still good for it."
A voice whispered: "Sam."
Sam froze and turned around, but there was no one there.
"You heard that too, right."
Roberto nodded. 'Who was that?"
"That sounded like my dad."
"Roberto…"
The Brazilian boy dropped the pan he was holding at the sound of the girl's voice.
"Why did you kill me, Roberto?"
"You ok, man?" Sam asked.
Roberto did not respond. He stood frozen with his face pale.
Emma slumped in her chair in the control room and rubbed her eyes.
The glanced at one of the many monitors through her fingers and slowly lowered her hand as she read what was written on the screen.
'ENTER PASSWORD.'
Roberto was on his way back to his room when he heard someone singing. He followed the voice and entered the swimming room, where the facility had a large swimming room.
Illyana was at the far side of the pool, singing to herself and doing backstrokes. She stopped and turned when she saw him standing near the door.
"Sorry," he said. "I thought I heard …"
"You want to join me?" Illyana asked.
"Really? You're not … still mad at me?"
She smiled. "Do I look angry?"
Roberto smiled back and began to take off his shirt.
Emma stormed through the hall with an angry expression.
Roberto swam as fast as he could. He grabbed the edge of the pool and exhaled in triumph.
Illyana grabbed the edge shortly afterwards and grinned at him. "Looks like you win."
He smiled back. "What do I win?"
Illyana inched closer to Roberto and planted a kiss on his lips.
The water around them began to steam as Roberto kissed her back, and he quickly broke off from her.
"What's wrong?"
Roberto held his shaking hands above the water.
"I just … I need a second to cool down."
"Isn't this what you want?" she asked.
"Look … I can get too hot, and when that happens …"
"Hey, you don't have to be afraid," she assured him. "You can tell me."
"I was with my girlfriend," Roberto began. His voice wavered as he continued. "I wanted to hold her, but I … I burned her. I killed her with my hands."
"Look at me," Illyana instructed him. "You can't hurt me."
She grinned mischievously. "But if you're so scared, we can always have another race. You won't win this time."
She shot off towards the other end of the pool, getting a head start. Roberto turned to follow, yelling "Hey! That's not-"
He stopped when he saw there was no one else in the pool with him.
"'Yana?"
Emma opened the door to Illyana's room. She found the blonde girl lying on her bed reading a book.
"What were you doing in the security room?" she demanded.
Illyana turned a page in her book, seemingly oblivious to Emma's presence. Emma grabbed the book out of her hands and threw it to the floor.
Illyana did not look at Emma, but simply glanced at the cover of the book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
"I'll ask you again. What were you doing?"
'What makes you think I was in this place?" Illyana asked nonchalantly.
"Don't play games with me," Emma snarled. "You're the only one here who could have gotten in without breaking the lock."
She grabbed Illyana by the arm and pulled her to her feet. "You will answer me. And don't try to lie. I don't need to read your mind or your pulse to know when you're telling the truth."
"'Yana?" Roberto asked again.
A burned and rotted hand reached out of the water and touched the back of his neck.
Roberto turned around and came face to face with a floating corpse. Most its skin was burned off and its flesh was black.
Roberto screamed and began to back away. The corpse opened its mouth to scream in response, but no sound came out.
It followed Roberto as he scrambled out of the pool, what remained of its flesh bursting into flames as it left the water.
"Illyana!" Roberto screamed as he collapsed against the back wall. He held his hands over his face as the fiery corpse stood over him.
Emma and Illyana continued to stare each other down.
"You want to know who I work for?" Emma asked. "I am a powerful woman, a woman you don't want as your enemy, and he is my superior. That should tell you everything you need to know about him."
Illyana leered at her. "Do you think you can beat me?"
"I-"
Emma stopped as her expression morphed from anger to fear and concern. She turned her head to the doorway.
"Who is it?" Illyana asked before the fire alarms began to go off.
"What's going on?" Dani asked as Emma and Illyana rushed past her, Rahne, and Sam.
"Get back to your rooms!" Emma yelled, but she did not try to stop them from following after her.
They entered the pool room and stopped, holding up their arms to protect themselves from the sudden intense heat.
Roberto was facing the pool, screaming at the top of his lungs. His body was half covered in fire and half covered in black spots which looked like sunspots.
He turned to them and screamed again, the fire spreading to cover his entire body and turning from yellow to white.
Emma grabbed a mop off the wall and used it to push Roberto into the pool. The room filled with steam as fire met water.
Now back to normal, Roberto looked up at Illyana with an expression of abject terror.
"I'm calling the police and getting out of here," Roberto declared angrily as he attempted to unlock Emma's smartphone.
"Give me back my phone," Emma demanded. "I am in charge of this facility."
Roberto approached the door to the building and tried to force it open, but it would not budge.
He banged on the door twice before turning back to Emma. "You're not in charge of shit. Didn't you see what just happened?"
He pointed at Illyana. "Illyana just tried to kill me!"
"What?" Illyana asked in shock.
"Don't play innocent!" Roberto yelled. "You were getting back at me for taking your stupid doll!"
All eyes were suddenly on Illyana, who could not have looked more uncomfortable.
"Roberto, Illyana was in her room the entire time," Emma said.
"Bullshit!"
"Look at her!" Emma insisted. "She's not wearing a bathing suit and her hair is completely dry. That's because she wasn't in the pool. I was with her during your incident. There was nobody in the pool but you."
She walked over to Illyana. "Did you have anything to do with what just happened to Roberto?"
Illyana's voice cracked as she answered. "No."
Emma smiled. "You see? I know when you're telling the truth."
She turned to the others. "It's become clear to me that I have been too lax with you children. I've given you too much freedom. Starting from this moment that is going to change."
Emma looked at Illyana. "And you are not to do anything by yourself. From now on, someone will be with you at all times."
"I'm sorry, Danielle, but this means you'll be sharing your room from now on."
"But-" Dani began.
"Now, everyone, get to bed," Emma ordered them. "Now."
As they began to file out, Roberto stopped next to Illyana.
"I know what I saw," he said angrily. "You kissed me and then tried to kill me."
Illyana looked at him in horror.
Roberto, Sam, and Rahne all left. Dani stopped and looked back at Illyana, who had not moved.
"Come on," Dani said. "I'll help you move your bed."
There was very little space left in Dani's room once they moved Illyana's bed in.
Dani surveyed the limited personal space she now had and muttered: "As if this place couldn't get any worse."
"Sorry," Illyana said sheepishly.
Dani looked at Illyana. "You didn't really attack Roberto, did you?"
"Do you really think I'd do something like that?"
"I don't know," Dani said frankly.
Illyana scowled and looked away.
"Do you want to go get the rest of your stuff?" Dani asked.
"No." Illyana got on her bed and laid on her side facing away from Dani.
That night, Dani again struggled to sleep, this time from nerves at having to share a room with Illyana
She turned over to look at Illyana, who had not moved a muscle since she had laid down. She then rolled onto her other side and attempted to get back to sleep.
Dani's eyes opened again as she heard an unexpected sound coming from Illyana's side of the room.
Illyana was sobbing.