A/N: I'm ashamed of the delay but I now have 3 jobs on top of being a full time student. -_-; I'm dying. Oh, and my allergies kicked into overdrive after last night's icy debacle. ...yay... Can you just hear my enthusiasm? *drips sarcasm*

Enjoy this in the meantime. Night.

To my anonymous reviewer Death: One member shows up in this chapter. ^_^

Chapter summary: In which Tony gets some serious news, not sure if it's bad or good, and Helios and Mokuba struggle to find a place in the X Mansion

Hacking, Pranking, and Riding

It was a mere stroke of luck that Stark was at SHIELD and near a computer when the hack first started. Alright, luck did not have much to do with the latter since he lived with a mechanical device within easy reach, but the first part was a coincidence. Even though he was a consultant for SHIELD and not an actual employee, he still offered to help counter the cyber attack. He enjoyed exercising his computer skills and showing off a little, or a lot.

Agent Hill sat him down at the nearest available computer and stared over his shoulder. He told her not so politely to back off because staring over someone's should was weird, okay. It just was.

A couple things about this situation stood out to Stark. First, the hacker was quick and efficient. Second, they bounced between files and dossiers with no clear rhyme or reason between them. Third, the hacker was not bothering to block or even hide their IP address. And fourth, they had help. The hacker had clearly created some sort of program to help prevent anyone from stopping them.

/Do you even know what you're looking for?/ he typed into a chatbox he managed to open on the hacker's computer.

Stark was impressed by the hacker's skill and speed, but questioned their reasons for hacking a powerful agency like SHIELD so haphazardly. Stark had no problem establishing communications with the other hacker while JARVIS began heckling with the hacker's computer program. There was still no response from the hacker.

/Are you ignoring me? I'm kinda offended,/ he typed.

JARVIS was able to locate the source of the program and began systematically attacking it. The program was surprisingly fast, destroying JARVIS's constructs before the portable device the program was stored in was removed by the hacker him or herself. Stark took advantage of the temporary lag to gain full access of the hacker's computer. Still no reply from the hacker.

/You really are ignoring me./

"Got it," he called aloud.

He only distantly heard Agent Hill order the view screens on the walls to use Stark's computer as their main feed. Tony activated the webcam on the hacker's computer and was surprised to see the hacker was a young man.

/Hey! You're younger than I am! Totally not fair,/ he typed.

The hacker eyes flicked up to webcam in annoyance. The hacker began withdrawing from the SHIELD computers, pausing to finally, finallytype a reply to Tony's message.

/Tell Coulson the Regent says hello./

Tony stared at the computer screen and then up at the view screens above visible to everyone in the room. Silence hung heavy on the audience for several precious seconds as the last message the hacker sent sat there taunting them. Tony felt all the humor drain out of him faster than falling out of a window.

/Coulson's dead,/ he typed dully.

On the webcam, the young hacker paused his movements to read the message. A thin eyebrow lifted in a perfect arch of disbelief. After a couple seconds, he typed a reply. The moment the message sent, the hacker finished logging out of the computer, grabbed his phone and cord, and left. But hardly anyone was paying attention to the hacker at that point. They were all reading the hacker's reply.

/Unless he somehow died within the last several hours since I spoke to him face to face, which I doubt, then he's very much alive./

"The hell?" Tony muttered. Curiosity, man.

Tony deliberately began hacking into Shield's personnel files, specifically for Coulson's file, ignoring the fact that dozens of SHIELD employees were in the room with him and every action he took on his computer was visible to everyone on the overhead monitors. No one tried to stop him.

Well, no real person did, anyway. Online, he was met by some seriously heavy duty firewalls, but if anything that just renewed his interest. He worked harder, even bringing in JARVIS until he successfully downloaded most of Coulson's file before SHIELD stopped him. He could expect a visit from Fury within the hour, but that did not bother him.

He was too busy focusing on the bits and pieces of Coulson's file he managed to borrow without permission. His eyes were pinned on the big, red, caps-locked letters printed boldly at the top of the first page of the file: ACTIVE.

Coulson was alive.

"What the hell?"

He stood, eyes lifting to the view screens above seeking confirmation of his find. But those big red letters were the same on those monitors as well. ACTIVE.

"JARVIS," Tony called.

"Yes sir," the A.I. Replied politely.

"Tell me you recorded all that."

"Recorded, copied, and archived, sir."

Hill put her hand on Tony's shoulder and he let her, sensing she needed something solid and real to anchor her as well. Clearly she was just as shocked by this revelation as everyone else in the room. A quick glance around him showed similar expressions of shock, disbelief, and fearful hope on everyone's faces.

"Oh, Fury's got some serious explainin' to do," he said pulling out his phone to call a few friends. They deserved to hear the 'good news' as well. He'd have to thank this 'Regent' for the information, and maybe suggest a name change to something more impressive like 'His Majesty' or something like that.

Mokuba sat on a bench outside watching the other kids play basketball. One of the kids had the ability to teleport himself across the court. Another had fantastic speed. Altogether, it was cool to watch. He looked up when he noticed Helios walk over to him holding two styrofoam cups and sandwich bags. The Titan sat next to Mokuba and handed him his share.

"Is Euos coming?" Mokuba asked.

Helios grinned. "He's on his way as we speak," he replied, gazing up at the sky.

"Is that why you wanted to sit in the sun?" Mokuba asked referring to bench they sat on.

Helios nodded. "This may not be mysun but my and Euos' power are still bound to it. It's easier for us to find things when they're in the sunlight. And since Euos is a part of me, he is always drawn to me and I to him."

Mokuba stared down at his drink. "I want a horse," he grumbled.

Helios laughed. "I doubt your brother would be able to deny you that or anything else for that matter," he said.

"Yeah, but nii-sama doesn't like the outdoors much," Mokuba grumbled. "He likes the city."

"He likes parks," Helios countered. "And I happen to know his previous incarnation adored riding. Kisara once told me about Set's pet sha too."

"Sha?"

Helios nodded. "A canine similar to a jackal that is now extinct as far as I know." Sun gold eyes saddened. "I can only guess that when Set fell from the humans' favor, they hunted down the sha he adored to the point they no longer existed. I know they defaced many of Set's monuments and his name glyphs or anything referencing him."

Mokuba's eyes had grown huge and watered so Helios smiled reassuringly and fell silent. Instead, he took a sip of water encouraging Mokuba to do the same. They sat together in sober silence until a shadow fell over the from behind and they turned. The shadow belonged to a large man with blue skin almost entirely covered by blue fur. Helios nodded a greeting while Mokuba ducked his head to the side so his eyes were in her shadow so he could see her more clearly.

"Hi," he said. "You want to eat with us?"

The person chuckled. "Well, I've already eaten but I would like to sit with you, yes," he said.

His voice was deep and soothing. Helios scooted over so the man could sit next to him instead of next to Mokuba. If the man caught the movement, he made no sign of it. He sat down with a heavy sign, placing both hands on his knees and relaxing.

"I do love sitting outside on days like this," he said. "Oh, forgive me. I'm Hank McCoy, a professor here," he said, extending his hand to Helios first and then Mokuba. "Now, I'm afraid I don't know who's who."

"I am called Helios," the Titan said, taking the hand carefully and shaking it. "This is Mokuba." Mokuba waved, his mouth too full of sandwich to reply coherently. "You are a professor you say? What do you teach?"

"No need to be so formal, Helios," Hank said. "Some of my students call me Beast, if that helps break the ice a bit. I teach math and science. My class starts in half an hour if either of you are interested in attending. I enjoy guests on occasion."

"I won't have to do homework, will I?" Mokuba asked morosely.

Hank threw his head back in a jovial belly laugh that eased Helios's nerves and brought a soft smile to his face. "No, no. Don't worry, son," Hank said kindly. "It's just a lecture. And you aren't actually a student here so I can't give you homework. You could just sit in and listen if you'd like. Feel free to ask questions too."

"What will you be teaching?" Helios asked curiously.

"We're in chapter four of the textbook in this class right now so basic astronomy," he replied. "We'll be talking about the sun today and the planets, or as many as I can get into one lecture, tomorrow."

"Really? Cool!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Helios knows a lot about astronomy."

Helios blushed and laughed uncomfortably. "Well, it is a bit of a requirement, I suppose," he said.

"Oh, do you have the ability to use solar power then?" Hank asked easily.

Helios blinked. "Why do you ask?"

Hank just smiled. "Don't worry," he said gently. "You aren't the only one. Bobby's around here somewhere. He'll be in my class if you want to meet him."

"Someone else can use solar power?" Helios asked surprised. "It does not overwhelm him?"

"Well, too much would, I suppose," Hank admitted. "But isn't that true for anyone? And what about you, young man?" he asked, leaning forward so he could see Mokuba happily eating his food and kicking his feet absently. "What kind of powers to do you have, if you don't mind me asking?"

Mokuba thought for a moment before answering, "I keep my brother balanced, I guess," he said. "That's why I'm here. Mister Charles said he would help me find my brother."

"Did something happen to him, then?" Hank asked gently.

"Someone attacked him and we ended up here," Helios said. "I am unsure how such a thing happened but we are separated because of it."

"I see," the mutant professor said sadly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay," Mokuba said, swallowing his mouthful. "He's alive. He'll find me, he always does." The young boy flashed a brilliant smile at the blue furred man who laughed heartily.

"I'm sure you're right," Hank said before checking his watch and standing. "It seems it's time for me to get ready for class. Please come sit in if you're interested. And ask questions, I do like questions. It makes me feel important."

He waved and walked back to the buildings humming and with an extra bounce to his step.

"I like him," Mokuba said cheerfully.

Helios smiled and glanced at the sky. Euos still had not arrived. It was beginning to worry to Titan. "It is taking longer than it should for him to find me," he murmured.

"It is?" Mokuba asked, looking around as well.

Helios nodded soberly. "He's normally faster than this."

The Titan closed his eyes and felt the sun overhead, allowing it to devour his senses. When he opened his eyes once more, they glowed with a solar fire uniquely his. Everyone and everything under the sun's light was visible to him in that moment, including Euos hovering in the air not too far south and west from Helios's position. It seemed this sun that was both Helios's and not was not allowing the Titan full access to his powers. It made sense when he thought about it, but it was still disconcerting.

Without the sun's support, Euos would need a signal of some kind to help guide him to his master. Obliging, Helios closed his eyes and called. The sun saw Euos lift his head and toss his mane recognizing Helios's power before galloping through the sky to his master.

Relieved, Helios cast his sun-empowered gaze across the landscape on the off chance Kaiba or anyone he knew was out in the sunlight. Far to the west in the middle of the desert and flying through the sky was none other than Green Lantern. Surprised, Helios stared harder, studying the details of the area, trying to recognize it. Lantern was flying with a giant airplane over a desert, possibly the same desert Helios and Mokuba had traversed the other day. Perhaps they should have remained where they fell instead of seeking aid. He opened his eyes and noticed Mokuba was staring at him curiously.

"Did you find him?" Mokuba asked.

Helios nodded. "I did. Euos was not far. He's on his way here now." Golden eyes sparkled. "I also saw Green Lantern."

"Green Lantern?" Mokuba parroted in confusion. "Does that mean nii-sama's here too?" he asked in excitement

"It is likely he is helping your brother, yes," Helios said. "They appear to be near where we were when we first arrived here. They're coming, I'm sure of it." He smiled and stood, brushing the crumbs off his lap and beginning to clean up. "Do you want to go to Mr. McCoy's class?"

Mokuba flushed. "Actually..."

Helios hummed. "I see." He glanced back at the mansion. "I will cover for you if you wish, but I suggest you don't wonder too far. Charles may be kind enough to open this place to us, but I doubt he would appreciate it if he found you in a place you shouldn't be."

"I won't get caught," Mokuba said confidently. "I escaped Pegasus's goons and probably would have gotten away if I hadn't stopped to duel Yugi."

Helios sighed. "Watch yourself, Mokuba," he said. "Charles is a powerful telepath, much stronger than he lets on. While I trust him to keep his word, I also trust him to protect his own."

"I know. I can do this," Mokuba said in growing annoyance. "I'm not a baby, you know."

Helios's eyes widened and his shoulders dropped. "I know," he said. "You just remind me of my sister."

Mokuba paused in his clean up and stared at Helios curiously. "Selene?"

"No," Helios murmured, shaking his head. "Eos."

"Oh," Mokuba muttered, shifting awkwardly. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Helios said, a soft smile on his face. "It's nice. Although I think Kaiba will fight me viciously if he even suspects I might steal you away as my sibling," he joked, winking playfully.

Mokuba cackled. "He'd obliterate you."

The two shared a smile before Helios stood. "While you use the restroom, I'll be in Mr. McCoy's class. Do not be long," he said, casting a sly glance over his shoulder.

Mokuba snickered and followed Helios until they got inside, then he slipped down the hall the opposite way from the classroom. He was not sure if Helios even knew where he was going since neither of them were familiar with the layout of the place. He was thrilled Helios trusted him enough to let him wander alone, but simultaneously nervous.

Helios was right, Charles was powerful. Mokuba could feel it like he could Pegasus's power. It was nowhere near the same but it was there. Mokuba's Shadows felt constrained in this place. He wanted to find a place where the buffer or whatever it was could not hold him back as much. His Shadows were not as strong as his big brothers as far as presence or sheer, raw power but they were sneaky and slippery. Mokuba was still a Kaiba and however much he hated Gozaboro, he could pin the unique streak of Shadows he had almost solely to the bastard.

He rounded a corner and stumbled back when a soft bamf heralded the unexpected arrival of a blue skinned person. For a split second, he thought he had been caught but another once over of the person revealed that, despite this person's odd blue skin, this was not Mr. McCoy, but someone else entirely. This person was younger and thinner and had a long, swishing tail. He was also much younger.

When the other person's eyes met Mokuba, they both froze. Mokuba was the first to move. He burst into a smile and let loose a deluge of excited Japanese. The blue person straightened in surprise and began waving his hands desperately trying to silence Mokuba until finally placing both hands over the Japanese boy's mouth.

"Shoosh!" the blue boy whispered as loudly as he dared. "Do you want to get us caught?"

Mokuba wisely fell silent still grinning when the blue boy removed his hands from his mouth. Mokuba leaned close and whispered, "You're blue!" The other boy shied away, his tail flicking nervously but Mokuba did not notice. "That's so cool."

That startled the other boy. He crouched slightly so he could face Mokuba directly. He cocked his head to the side in an almost birdlike manner and asked, "Cool?"

Mokuba nodded. "Yeah." Big dark gray eyes gleamed as he leaned forward to whisper in excitement. "Are you skipping too?"

The blue boy's tail flicked. "Why do you say that?"

"'Cause I am," Mokuba said conspiratorially. "Wanna team up?" The blue boy glanced around in confusion. "I'm Mokuba, by the way," he said, extending his hand. "Who're you?"

The boy hesitated before shaking Mokuba's hand. "Kurt," he said. "Are you... You're accent-"

"Japanese," Mokuba replied. "Your's is...German?"

Kurt nodded with a grin. His yellow eyes twinkled. "You like pranks?"

Mokuba's grin grew. "I have a big brother. What do you think?"

Kurt's hesitancy vanished, replaced by a sneaky smile. "Wanna help me out?"

Helios opened into the fourth door in the hallway, sincerely hoping this was McCoy's classroom. Thank heavens it was. As quietly as he could, he slipped into the classroom. It not a huge lecture hall but it was decently sized. He leaned against the back wall ignoring the curious eyes that turned back to see who had come in. Mr. McCoy was lecturing from the front of the classroom, writing the equation for finding the emissivity of a blackbody on the chalkboard while the image of the sun was projected on a screen on the left.

The professor turned around at the stir and smiled widely when he saw Helios. "Decided to join us?" he called in a friendly manner.

Helios sighed and nodded. "I apologize for the distraction," he said.

"No, it's fine," McCoy said. "At least you were trying to be quiet," he said, eyeing a particular group of children in the back. They immediately fell silent and Helios took a seat in one of the empty seats in the back row near the door.

"Is Mokuba coming?"

Helios shook his head. "Soon, yes. But he had some business to attend to." Helios lifted a brow and McCoy nodded in understanding.

"Well then," the blue furred professor said, turning back to his students, "can anyone explain to me what a blackbody is and how it pertains to the sun, hm?"

"Are you sure this will work?" Mokuba asked, peering over the edge of the roof and through the window into the classroom beyond.

"Would you doubt me?" Kurt asked, placing a hand over his heart in mock offense. Mokuba snickered. The blue mutant winked. "Trust me. I set up everything before class started. And I was ale to include your little additions too. Now it's up to you."

Kurt flicked his tail and watched with interest as Mokuba leaned over again to stare into the classroom with a focused expression. Little did he know that Mokuba was concentrating on making his inexperienced Shadows obey his will. All he had to do was turn on the ceiling fans and everything else would take care of themselves.

He felt his Shadows tickling his senses, rising up around him, before stretching out and slipping under the desks and chairs. He had to focus a little harder to make his Shadows reach the ceiling fans, but when they did, he smiled. He materialized a small, slender Shadow tendril, felt for the chain and tugged.

Immediately, the fan blades began spinning, picking up speed and tossing their burden on top of all the people below. Sparkles, glitter, and glow in the dark stars sprayed the stunned students and professor. Some of the girls squealed when sparkles went down their shirts, the guys cried out in indignation when they discovered sequins and confetti in their hair, but none of the glow-in-the-dark stars ever reached their targets. Instead, several halted mid-fall and hovered thanks to the telekinetic ability of at least one student, the rest were yanked from their original trajectory and began orbiting one of the people in the far back.

Mokuba's eyes grew large when he recognized Helios. "Oops," he muttered.

"What?" Kurt asked, poking his head in the window. His eyes too grew huge and he muttered something that was most likely an exclamation in German. The little stars were whirling around Helios who was glowing softly, powering the stars and making them glow brighter as well. Moments later, the stars too fell to the ground.

"He glows," Kurt murmured. "And he's a telekinetic?"

Mokuba shook his head. "No, that was probably just gravity manipulation," he said. "Helios can manipulate the gravity around him."

"Kurt Wagner!" McCoy's voice bellowed. "Since I know you're watching, why don't you at least come in an experience your practical joke personally."

"Scheiße!" Kurt laughed. He glanced at Mokuba sympatheticlly. "Sorry," he said, not in the least bit sorry.

Mokuba snickered. "Yeah right."

Kurt bamfed the two of them into the room with a wide grin on his face. McCoy did not seem angry at all. He had a small smile on his face but a warning in his eye. His eyes widened when they caught sight of Mokuba and he groaned.

"Converting the innocent so soon, are we?" he asked.

Kurt waved his hands to stave off too much blame. "Actually, the glow-in-the-dark stars were his idea," the blue mutant said poitning to his companion. Mokuba grinned proudly. "And he turned on the fans," Kurt added with a wink.

"Face it, sir," a cute girl with her hair in a ponytail pulling sparkles out of her hair chirped. "It worked with your lecture. The stars absorbed the light energy then emitted it as light. I'd say they're blackbodies, wouldn't you?"

McCoy blinked in surprise, then sighed in defeat. Perhaps, Charles was right about the boy's potential, he thought glancing at Mokuba. "No, they aren't. Now you two," he turned back to the teenaged deviants with exasperation, "go take a seat and listen to this lecture. And while you're at it, help clean up this mess."

:I assume the person behind that commotion was Kurt?: Charles asked in Hank's mind, startling the teacher.

:Kurt and his new partner in crime, Mokuba, yes,: Hank said.

Charles chuckled. :Really? I'm glad. Kurt needs a friend.:

:Even if it tries my patience?:

:Now, now, Hank. No harm done,: Charles's voice said. :Helios is there, isn't he? How did he react to the prank?:

Hank glanced over at the white haired young man who was currently helping a young girl pick sparkles out of her hair. :He glows and has some telekinetic ability, I believe.:

:According to Mokuba through Kurt, it was gravity manipulation.:

:Was it indeed? Fascinating. I assume you've talked to Doctor Strange about them.:

:I have yes,: Charles confirmed. :He was busy at the time so he could not speak long, but he did say he met a group of travelers from another reality who mentioned searching for a brother.:

:Another reality?:

:Yes. Logan, Scott, and Ororo have been made aware of this.:

:Do we know where the group is?:

:Unfortunately, no. The communication was broken by what the good Doctor believes to be the bifrost and I cannot find anyone in the area of the bifrost activity like our two friends. I am looking, but it is not easy. Something is...blocking me.: The mood of Charles's mind voice changed. :But that is not the reason I'm contacting you. It would behoove you to know something has been trying to look for the school.:

:I see. Should we expect an attack?:

:I am not entirely sure, but it would be wise to be aware.: Charles replied.

:Yes, knowing is half the battle,: Hank said. :Anything else?:

:It can wait. I can tell your students are getting a bit restless,: Charles said with audible amusement. :I'll leave you to it.:

:Thank you. I'll inform you if anything happens.: Hank turned his attention back to his class. "Now," he said aloud, "can anyone tell me what a blackbody is? Kurt, since you clearly know enough to skip most of today's class, how 'bout you?"

"A blackbody is a theoretical construct used by scientists which absorbs all forms of electromagnetic radiation and emits all forms of electromagnetic radiation no matter the wavelength."

"That-" Hank paused when he noticed Kurt had never moved his mouth. He looked Mokuba sitting at the desk next to the prankster, kicking his legs happily, and smiling unrepentantly. "That's correct. Where did you learn that?"

"I'm technically a senior in high school and have been taking college classes for the past couple years now. Nii-sama insisted," Mokuba said proudly.

"Did your brother teach you?"

"Everything that's important, yep," Mokuba said.

"Well, I'm sure he's very proud of you," Hank said kindly.

Helios bit back a grin and relaxed as Hank began speaking again. The lecture was interesting if a bit odd. It was strange listening to someone talk about a part of himself in such a way. There were a few differences between Helios's sun and the sun of this world though, it seemed. This world's sun was nearing the end of its sunspot cycle but Helios knew his sun was in between cycles. That certainly helped explain a bit why Helios's powers fluxuated here.

Sunspots indicated the sun was close to switching magnetic poles. At the height if the sunspot activity there would be a lot of electromagnetic activity, flares, and coronal mass ejections. It could become dangerous for this planet if any of the ejections struck the earth directly. But it also affected Helios personally. His temper became slightly harder to control, his powers tended to fluctuate in intensity, and it sometimes made him giddy. Selene experienced similar reactions when the moon became full and caused a solar eclipse. It always used to amuse Eos how her siblings would come home with off mannerisms and their heads in the clouds.

Eos.

Suddenly, Helios did not want to be here anymore. Some things were best left buried. The lecture was almost finished anyway and Mokuba seemed to have found a friend in the blue mutant boy. Also, Helios could feel Euos nickering on the edge of his mind. Helios would much rather be near Euos than dwelling on dark memories and pointless thoughts in a crowd of people.

He stood and slipped out of the classroom as quietly as he could and wandered back down the dark wood hallways towards the main door. He pushed open the heavy portal and stepped back outside. The warm sunlight flickered as the trees swayed in a cool breeze. The sun had dropped behind the treeline but the field beyond was still mostly in sunlight.

It was quiet except for a few of the mutant youngsters sitting or playing in the gardens. A few if the older children were studying or listening to music. It seemed most of the students had already left to get ready for their next class leaving the few brave souls who dared to skip behind. Helios paid them no mind. Instead, he closed his golden eyes and drew on his power, searching for his longtime friend. He held on until he was sure he heard a familiar whinny with his own ears before released his power.

When he opened his eyes once more, Euos was prancing restlessly in the open field just beyond the row of trees lining the walkway near the basketball court. Euos lowered his head and nudged his master, eager for attention. Helios reached up and scratched the long forehead sedately, smiling peacefully. He was older now and could afford take his time with things. He chuckled when he remembered the brash young man he had been in his youth. How Euos had tolerated him back then was sometimes beyond the Titan. Euos snorted, picking up on his master's thoughts and Helios chuckled.

A low murmur behind him alerted Helios that he and Euos had gathered a small crowd. He glanced over his shoulder curiously. One of the group was the girl with the white streaked hair who arrived here with Helios and Mokuba earlier that day on the aircraft. She stood slightly apart from the crowd and still wore her gloves Helios noticed absently. She smiled at him briefly before looking back at Euos.

"It's alright," Helios said. "You can touch him. He's spirited but age has tempered him somewhat." Euos snorted and tossed his head showing what he thought of that statement.

The girl pointedly crossed her arms, burying her gloved hands in her armpits flashing him another quick, shy smile as she did so. Helios nodded acknowledging her wishes and turned back to his steed. Euos flicked white his ears towards him and swished his tail when Helios rested his head on the stallion's neck.

"I see you have a friend."

"Yes," Helios replied, glancing over his shoulder to the new speaker. Charles was sitting in his wheelchair watching the Titan with a gentle smile on his face. Helios nodded a greeting. "You don't have to worry about sheltering him," he said. "He prefers to run free."

"Much like his master, I'm sure," Charles said earning a small smile from Helios. "I wonder, could I?"

Helios nodded and stepped aside for the older man to approach. Charles nodded and murmured a soft "thank you" as he wheeled closer. Euos stepped forward and extended his nose to meet the man halfway. The stallion huffed and snuffled the human's hand hoping for food. Charles laughed and held out both hands regretfully.

"Nothing, sorry," he said. "I should have planned better. Maybe next time we meet I'll have an apple for you. How does that sound?"

Euos shook his head and whinnied to Charles's delight. Even the shy girl with gloves smiled. Helios whispered softly and Euos flicked his ears in response.

"That was Greek, correct?" Charles asked.

"It was, yes," Helios replied.

"You know, if you wanted to go for a ride, you do not need to ask my permission." Helios's surprise must have been clearly written on his face because Charles chuckled. "I took ancient Greek and Latin in school," he said. "Granted is has been a while andI'm a bit rusty but something like that stays with you. My words stand, by the way. If you want to ride, you do not need to ask my permission. I would like it if you did not leave the property but I'm sure a ride would do no harm."

He sat back from Euos and shifted in his wheelchair. "Incidentally, before you do, would you mind if I asked you a question?"

"No, not at all," Helios said.

"You said you had heard of Thor but never met him," Charles began.

Helios nodded. "This is true," he said slowly. "Most of the people I know have at least heard of him. Heis the Norse god of thunder and strength among other things depending on who you ask." Sun gold eyes pierced into dark blue. "Why?"

"Because your mind is reminiscent of his," Charles said calmly. "Before you ask, no I have not looked into your mind. I believe in privacy. But that does not mean I am blind to what is in front of me. Your mind feels similar to Thor's."

"You speak as if you know him personally," Helios said carefully.

Charles shrugged. "I will be honest, I have never met him directly but I have seen him and felt his mind. It is..." His lips curved up in a wry smile. "Hard to miss. Your's is the same. And yet, you are not Asgardian."

Helios hesitated. "No, I am not."

Charles hummed thoughtfully. :You are not human either,: he said in Helios's mind.

The Titan stiffened. :You said you believe in privacy,: he said.

:I do,: Charles said. :I am merely listening and projecting my words to you. Nothing more. You have my word.:

:I believe you.: After a moment, Helios finally replied, :No, I'm not human.:

Charles nodded, unsurprised. "have searched for you friend Mokuba's brother, but have had no luck finding him," he said aloud. "However, I have news from a friend that may interest you." Helios remained silent, listening closely. "A friend of mine, I believe I mentioned him when we last spoke, Doctor Strange is his name. He told me he met a group of individuals who were looking for a brother."

:He said they were from another reality,: Charles finished mentally.

Helios nodded. "Yes," he said aloud to the unspoken question. "I am aware at least one of them is currently in the American west, though where the rest of them are, I do not know."

"Now that's interesting," Charles said. His eyes and voice were unaccusing, simply genuinely curious. "How do you know where they are?"

"If I focus," Helios began, "I can see everything under the sun at once. It can be overwhelming at times, which is why I rarely do it. But it is an ability I have."

"I see," Charles said, sounding very much like a scientist learning something new about a subject of interest. "That's an impressive ability, though I can see how it can be debilitating. I assume that's where you get your name?"

Helios nodded. "I suppose you can say it came from my name," he said.

Charles nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, I suppose you could say that." His wise eyes sparkled with knowledge as he returned his gaze to the fiery steed. "Well, I'll leave you two in peace. Try to come back before sundown though. We lock up early. Oh, and, if possible, I would like to take you and Mokuba to New York City to meet my friend, Doctor Strange."

"He cannot come here?" Helios asked.

Charles shook his head regretfully. "Unfortunately no. I try to keep the knowledge of this place those that stay here limited to as few as possible. Do not worry. Stephen is a nice man; you can trust him."

"Stephen?"

"Doctor Stephen Strange," Charles clarified. "Stephen is his first name. Could you and Mokuba be ready to leave around midmorning tomorrow, let's say ten o'clock?"

Helios nodded. "We could, yes."

"Then I look forward to seeing you then," Charles said. With one last look at Euos, he turned around and wheeled away, gesturing for the other students including the quiet girl to head back to the mansion and leave Helios in peace.

A ride was exactly what Helios needed right now. He never knew how much he would miss riding his chariot until he suddenly could not do it. It had been nagging at him for a long time and the brief escapades across the United States of this reality were nice, but nowhere near enough. This ride would not be enough either, but it would be worth a try.

He mounted Euos who pranced, ready to gallop, ready to fly. Helios gently guided Euos around back to the field before leaning forward. Euos took that as the signal and leapt forward, racing across the grass as a sedate pace for him. The wind whipped through his mane and Helios's hair. This is what they both needed.

The freedom of the earth and sky, the sun setting just beyond them, the wind blowing them, life around them. To escape the people and darker memories for the slightest hint of freedom and his old life before things went to hell. To escape duties and the memories of Zeus. To escape the nagging feeling that he was being watched.