It was Saturday and Kitty took advantage of being able to sleep late. When she finally awoke, she made her way down to the dining room slowly, hoping she missed breakfast. But Kitty's heart nearly jumped into her stomach when she saw Logan clearing the table. Rogue and Kurt sat at one end of the table, finishing up the last bites of their breakfasts. She tried to keep her expression straight, and sat down without giving Logan a second glance. Luckily, she was tired and couldn't give too much of a damn about anything right now. She hoped there would be some coffee left; this was just one of those days.

"Where were you last night, Kitty? I thought we were going to work on our history project together?" God, she had completely forgotten. Kurt's voice almost sounded hurt, though she suspected he was simply trying to put on the cute factor. Rogue tried to direct Kurt's attention away from the subject and let him know to be quiet, but her frantic tapping on the tabletop only added fuel to the fire.

"What? You know something I don't, Rogue?" She scowled in his direction. Kitty looked down apologetically, "I'm sorry Kurt, I forgot and I...made plans with someone else." She hoped he would lose interest and accept her apology. But Kurt's expression had gone from disappointed bewilderment to utter shock and revolt as he realized why Rogue was trying so desperately to keep him from saying anything else. Kitty made to shush him, but the words were already leaving his lips.

"You...you and Lance?! You guys hooked up?!"

There was a crash in the kitchen. Logan stood in the middle of a heap of broken dishes. "I...I'm going to just clean this up...I, sorry-" he broke off, very red in the face, and looked hastily around for a broom.

Kitty stood up and threw the nearest thing she could find, Jean's textbook, and threw it at Kurt. "You're a fucking idiot! Why can't you ever be quiet?!" He teleported out of the way and watched her storm out of the room. He looked to Rogue for support. "Come on, she chose Lance over me? I'm supposed to be the friend here!" Rogue simply glared at him and left the room as well, leaving Kurt alone with only Logan as company.

- - -

So, Kitty had been with Avalanche...but how much had happened, why had this happened, what had happened? Logan had to know. He was so confused and the feeling in the pit of his stomach was not a good one in the least. Feigning innocent concern, he leaned against the back of a chair and looked inquiringly at Kurt.

"So, Kitty sure seems upset, huh blue? Wanna tell me what the trouble is? As a mentor in this institute, it's important that I know how to help her." Kurt shrugged and sullenly replied, "I don't think anything is wrong. She...well, Rogue thought-" he stopped and smiled slightly, "Rogue thought at first that Kitty liked, well, you. But it turns out Kitty likes Avalanche." He pouted. "Basically, last night she totally ditched me so she could go screw around with him. Her loss. That's all that needs to be known." He stood up and pushed in his chair politely, before exiting the room with a soft "pop".

Logan stared intently at a small stain in the carpet and tried hard to suppress the surge of emotion that was bubbling to the surface of his heart and mind. She had slept with Lance; why? Was he, Wolverine, not good enough for her? Was he not caring and kind and open and patient enough for her? Why would she go off with a guy she hardly knew? How could she throw him away so easily?

- - -

Kitty sat on her bed, holding her head in frustruation. Why did Kurt have to be so thick-headed? And more importantly, why did she have to be so stupid? She had thought last night would be self-gratifying, even redeeming. But she had felt empty and used, a piece of meat to be taken advantage of again and again. She had thought Logan would be gone for as long as the Professor had said, that he had found something else to occupy his time and energy. And now he was back, now he had heard, now he had actual reason to think she was just a worthless slut.

There was a knock on the door. She mumbled, "Come in," and in a strange and terrified way, she half-hoped it would be Logan.

The door creaked open slowly and Kitty looked up. It was just Rogue. Before Kitty could think of a way to get her out, Rogue spoke.

"Look hun, ah'm sorry for tellin' Kurt that you liked Lance."

Kitty shrugged. "You're not the one who made him shout it out to the whole Institute."

Rogue sat down and put her gloved hand on Kitty's shoulder. "Hey, it's not as bad as you think. Kurt does stupid stuff sometimes, but he didn't mean no harm. He was just hurt 'cause he has a little puppy crush on you. Boys will be boys." She paused. "Anyway, it wasn't like anyone was around. The only other one who heard was Logan, an' you know it was just embarrassing for him to hear, nothin' else. He won't tell nobody what Kurt said."

Kitty frowned. It was as bad as she thought- Rogue just didn't know.

"So forget about Kurt...how was last night? Was he good?"

Kitty couldn't keep lying. "No, I..." Her voice broke slightly. Rogue looked at her with concern. "What? What's wrong?"

"I...I don't like Lance. The truth is I like someone else, but I slept with Lance because I... I wanted to prove to them that I could, I guess. I wanted to- I don't know what I wanted. I was angry and I thought that having sex with Lance would replace...well it's stupid, can we just not talk about it, Rogue?"

Rogue smiled kindly and stood up. "Sure. But we'll make a deal. Ah'll drop the subject if ya come with me, Jean, and Jubilee; we're going to the city for some well-deserved shopping. I'm not going to let you spend all day moping around this crummy mansion."

Kitty shrugged. Why not? Maybe it would help her get her mind off things.

- - -

Logan was standing once more in the Professor's office. Storm and Hank McCoy were seated in the chairs by the window. There was a third chair available, but Logan didn't really like sitting down right now. He never felt too comfortable in chairs.

"I have received an email from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters containing some files that concern the information you mentioned in passing last night, Logan. I understand you weren't in a great mood, but if there is anything you left out, please fill in the details." Logan thought for a moment. He had come in, slammed the door, and the Professor had been waiting right there in the hallway for him. Had he said everything that could be considered important?

"I think I covered it all, Charles. Everything Nick told me, anyway. I know I was a little sharp and vulgar but I wouldn't leave out details about something so serious."

The Professor nodded. "I believe you." He spread a few papers across the desk and everyone leaned in. "Nick mentioned in the email that although he regretted your decision, he would not withold any of the information S.H.I.E.L.D. has gathered from our team. He's on our side Logan, don't doubt it."

Logan grunted. "Right. Doesn't mean I have to get along with him. Let's just talk about the email, Charles."

"There is a list of confirmed mutants who have gone missing without explanation; nearly 200 names so far, and that's just counting confirmed mutants. I might add, right here, that a Piotr Rasputin and Xi'an Coy Manh are included in this list- that is, Colossus and Karma."

Logan tensed. Colossus. That son of a bitch. That violent, primitive rapist bastard-

"Logan, please." The Professor gave him a strange look, and then continued as normal.

"I have been trying to track Karma and Colossus since...the incident at Trask Laboratories." Logan wished the Professor would stop glancing at him like that. "Though Cerebro tells me they are both still alive, it has not been able to pinpoint their position and I have not been able to contact them telepathically. If what S.H.I.E.L.D. believes is true - that a mutant has teamed up with an underground fight-ring organization, then it narrows down the culprits significantly. My guess is that someone is paying Mesmero a good share of the money collected from these fights, or providing him with some sort of convincing assets. But...there is one missing piece to this case."

Storm jumped in. "Right, who is blocking Cerebro? Mesmero can't do that, can he?"

McCoy's voice was low and dark as he responded to her inquiry by simply uttering a single name. "Magneto."

"Exactly," Charles nodded in his direction. "Magneto is the only mutant I know who can block Cerebro's reach. Somehow, Magneto must be involved with this organization as well. And I wonder, what incentive does he have to be a part of it? The organization is anti-mutant. Unless he is so bent upon ruining our Institute that he will stoop to those levels just to attack our students..." The Professor trailed off.

"So..." Logan spoke slowly, trying to make sense of things. "Colossus didn't actually have a choice about what he was doing? And Karma ran off because she was being forced to?"

The Professor's face was weary. "I don't know, Logan. I would like to think that they didn't act on their own accords. You know that Piotr went to Magneto after he left the Institute last year. Eric has proven himself capable of changing peoples' minds purely through charismatic persuasion. With Shan, it was obvious that she was having trouble fitting in here. I still need time to learn more about this organization and those who are involved. Today, I just wanted to give you an update on my own hypothesis, in case it could inspire any of you to think on it. I will see you all at dinner." He dismissed them with a sad smile.