disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever in any way owned the X-Men. If I did, I would be rich and have lots more time to write about them. This is a work of fiction based on the X-Men comic book owned by Marvel Comics Group and I expect to receive absolutely no monetary compensation for it. Dammit.

Farewell Sunshine
by Dizi

Chapter 8

The halls being full of kids was a surprise, there hadn't been a bell to signal change of class. It was interesting, they were interesting. Being an observer instead of involved with them allowed me to see interactions someone might otherwise miss, or might not pick up on. If you think about it, any place with a fairly large group of people tends to revert to a High School type of environment complete with 'clicks'. Guess what? This is a High School.

At first glance, the groupings are the same as in a normal school: age, wealth, jocks, geeks, ethnicity, and so on, with overlaps and exceptions.

Now I could be a little sensitive having just heard about Sunshine's issues. It's possible. I mean, I don't know any of these kids, I don't even really know Sunshine. I would swear I was seeing a trend which indicated there were other levels to the clicks here. As I don't know the kids or the environment, I'm guessing there are many nuances to be had between mutants kids. The one I was seeing though, the one seemingly dealing with the lowest level, concerned the ones with physical mutations.

They're easy to spot. They're the mutants that stand out in a crowd, and the halls are full. Without trying, I notice several deferring to the more "normal" appearing students. They hang back, not talking much to anyone and few talking to them. Oh, not all of them, but the majority. Were they ashamed? Embarrassed by their physical differences? Made to feel that way by their peer group? Possibly I was seeing things that weren't there. I doubt it, but hope so.

Another possibility--and I don't like even the thought of this one--was that Xavier and Frost had a point about my 'mere presence', although they were referring to the telepaths being traumatized. Jubilee said kids with physical mutations had it hard and I'm a stranger they couldn't be sure about. Were they backing away, attempting to keep from drawing attention to themselves, because they were afraid of how I would react? It's a sobering thought.

As it makes more sense combined with what I've already heard, I'm sticking with my original theory: The less powerful mutants who look different are the lowest of the low on the step ladder which is Xavier's School for the Gifted. Differences being a common prejudice throughout the world, why should the mutants here behave any other way than the rest of humanity? Just because they're mutants? Yeah, right.

Sam and I had to make our way down the long hallway where Sunshine's bedroom was, down two flights of stairs, through the front entrance hall, then to another hall in the 'classroom wing'. Let's see, that's three halls and two stairs; these kids don't need P.E. to get exercise. During the trip, I saw a number of kids that stood out. I'll admit to a certain amount of fascinated interest. Not the car crash "Oh my God, it's so horrible I have to look" kind of thing, not revulsion. I didn't stare, but I was interested and looked at them. I promise, if you see a person with tentacles instead of legs, a second look is flat out necessary. It can't be helped, has to be done. I did my best to be circumspect about it.

But Tentacle Boy caught me the second time. Okay, yes, the descriptive name I put to him in my mind would be kinda rude, but I don't have a name for him. When he noticed me, he clutched a book to his side, turned his whole body away, and ducked his head. It's a classic move of the wary individual. Question was, did he do it because I had been looking at him or because anyone had? I really wanted to know.

Actually, seeing him inspired several questions. I tend to be curious which creates many of the distractions I hate so much. Was he born that way or did he recently change? If that answer was the second option, had he instinctively known how to use those tentacles or have to learn? Initially, were they strong enough to hold him up like that? How much could he do with them? I seriously doubt he'd like it if I came up to him and asked these questions, can't help wondering though. A whole new world of curiosity has been opened to me with this case. Not that he's part of my case. I'll most likely never talk to him at all.

Then weight is given to my theory by a group making their way through the class wing, thankfully interrupting my newest distraction. These are the cream of the crop. Athletic build, hair they probably spend a lot of time on, and by the designer clothes they have MONEY. They strut like they own the place, obviously thinking they're hot shit. I dare one of them to get in my face. However, the important observation is the way the other student react to them. Everyone gets out of their way to let them pass easily. Whatever their appearance, all the students move.

That's when it happens. My internal warning system sends out a signal. Since I've learned over the years to pay attention to it, I look at the group more closely. A boy in the middle raises his head at just that same instant. For maybe three seconds, we're staring directly at each other.

Those seconds were so intense, I somehow expected all the people around me to have witnessed it. Nope. Nothing really to see by their perspective. It was all on me. Throughout the entire trek I'd kept a carefully impassive expression on my face. There was absolutely no emotion to be seen. Not so with this teenage boy. 'Malevolent' is the right word, I think. And it was aimed right at me. I've been a target before. I know how to watch my back. A warning wasn't necessary to tell me to keep my back to the wall with this one, but without the warning the whole thing wouldn't have happened and he wouldn't have hit my radar so fast. He hated me. It's kinda the sort of thing I like to know about. Just a personal policy. I got the message.

So many kids wandering around had made the noise level too high for Sam and I to have talked along the way. He was a few feet in front on me, never noticing my short pause. A minute later he opened a door with a fancy brass plaque proclaiming "Teachers Only". Well, I've been known to teach 'lessons' but I don't think they really want me to.

Still wearing the smug expression men get when they know they're going to 'get some', he says, "Ah started some coffee for yah."

Oh, the heavenly scent of rich wonderful coffee. Mmmmmmmm... If I hadn't already promised Sam sexual favors, he would have just earned them. Two feet from the door, I took a moment to bask in it. I didn't get my full moment.

"Yo, it's the cop-lady." The words came from a young African-American male, approximately twelve to fourteen years of age, might come to my shoulder, who has a big mouth. Just what I need. "Whatcha doin' here, huh? Causin' trouble for my kind, cop-lady?"

"No one has to cause trouble for you, punk." Standing straighter, I took on my tough cop stance, sneering at him. Inside I was laughing. "Way I remember it, if there's something going down, you're involved. Why don't we have a little talk."

"You think you can scare me? I got me respect now, got me a name." The kid was putting on his own tough act. "You want to talk to me, you call me 'Replay'."

"Yeah, yeah. You always had a name, punk. The one I put on your sheet was 'Antoine'." Taking quick deliberate strides, I clench my hand around the back of his neck and push him towards the open door where Sam is waiting uneasily. "Now get your ass in there, Antoine."

"Ain't got no right to be puttin' your hands on me!" The boy couldn't have been any louder if he'd tried. "No right! Let go a' me!"

Ignoring the outburst, I gave the kid another shove so he was all the way inside.

Sam hadn't interferred but definitely didn't approve of my actions. "Ma'am, Ah'd have tah call that manhandling-"

"Do you have to activate the shielding?" I didn't have time to explain, there were too many eyes on us.

"No, it's turned on with the lights. Ma'am-"

"Good. Just close the door." Yeah, he wasn't happy with me anymore. That changed when he realized Antoine had shut up once out of sight from all those eyes outside. Sam even went to the corner to fill me a cup of coffee while I took a seat in one of the straight backed chairs at the plain wood table across from where Antoine had sprawled in another chair.

"So how's it goin', cop-lady?" Dropping all pretenses, the boy grinned at me. It was a nice change. So was the way he said 'lady'. Outside, he'd made it sound like he wanted to substitute 'bitch', which I wouldn't have minded. Much. Being one and being called one are two different things. "Word is you got trouble."

"You ever see me with trouble I couldn't handle?" My returning smile was genuine. It was good to see him here, know he was improving himself. Some years ago, Antoine had got mixed up with the wrong crowd, the usual gang thing. Cutting out the details, he ended up getting busted for drug posession. He'd been ten and very lucky to get a good enough public defender so he was only in juvie for five months. I'm not going to say I thought he was a good kid, but he was a kid and I wanted him to get a second chance, a real one. The priest who works the homeless shelter is known to help place kids in decent homes, I left it in his hands. Antoine turned out to be a mutant and became one of the Wagner's first foster children. Don't know how good a job they did, he still has a big mouth.

"Never seen you without a badge, cop-lady, so how would I know?" Shrugging, he dropped the subject and moved on. "Word's out you're here about the yellow girl."

Putting a steaming mug in frong to me, Sam started to speak but I held up a hand to stop him. Whatever he had to say, this wasn't the time. "'Yellow girl' has a name too, Replay. It's Sunshine, use it."

"Didn't mean nothin' by it. We didn't hang, ya know? Didn't even have lunch at the same time she did. Hardly saw the... Sunshine." He'd caught himself just in time, having heard a clear warning in my voice.

"But you know something." It wasn't a guess. Antoine, or Replay, had put out an effort to make that display. He'd wanted a private chat, we both knew it. "You got words for me?"

"You're alright, cop-lady. Always thought that even when you busted me." He shrugged again. "Yeah, I got words but no names to go with 'em. Word is somebody liked her, a lot, but they didn't want anybody to know it, see? Made fun of her all the time on account of she ain't got no powers. Not in front of any teacher though, they wouldn't go for that."

Sam is a dark cloud beside me. Didn't take telepathy to know he didn't want to believe that sort of thing went on. I can't worry about his feelings right now though, I have to pump my informant. "Go on."

"Yeah, that's not all." He leaned closer. "Somebody said this guy broke down and asked her out, like onna real date, but she said no. My man didn't say what happened after that. I'm thinking he didn't like it and figured you'd wanna know."

"You figured right." This was what I'd hoped to get over many interviews. Antoine was chalk full of information. He'd given me motive. It was a big head start. "So why the scene? If word's out, we'd have found this out eventually."

"Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't." His tone suggested Antoine didn't think we would have. "I got my reasons."

"Which are?"

He hesitated, narrowed his eyes, a little sullen. Underneath, I think he was... embarrassed? "Miss Jenny and Kurt gave me something. This is my way of giving back."

"Yeah?" I take it back, the Wagners did something special with this boy. A few years ago he would never have thought to 'give back' anything. "How?"

"When they took me in, they didn't know I was a mutant, I didn't know yet. They don't care about that kinda thing. You know what I was like, Sanchez, I was a pain in the ass." Antoine grinned unrepentantly. "Still am. They're cool, especially Miss Jenny. They taught me it don't matter where you come from or who your people are, just the kind of person you decide to be. I decided."

They did damn good. "And what did you decide?"

"That it doesn't matter if you're human or mutant, how much power you have, how much money you have, or what you look like." Antione was watching me intently, making sure I took in every word. "And I decided I wasn't gonna stand around while this guy uses what he's got to bully people, hurt a pretty girl like Sunshine who never bothered anyone. That ain't what this place is about."

I've been biased, I'll admit it. Xavier and Frost had gotten my back up from the first, I associated those feelings with the school itself. I would have to rearrange my thoughts. Up to a certain point, kids generally see through the bullshit. Antoine thought the school was worth saving and I would believe him. Until now, I didn't really care about saving the school, just catching the perp.

"There's something you're not telling me." Actually there was a lot he wasn't saying. I knew he had the name I needed, he'd said too much not to. Of course, even if he gave it to me I'd need proof, evidence.

"Cop-lady, some things you're not ready for. You got enough." To emphasize he was done, Antoine pushed away from the table. "Just remember when the shit hits the fan who spoke willingly and that sometimes we really can't control our actions."

Sam made it to the door first, holding his hand on the knob and waiting for my nod before opening it for Antoine.

At the last second, I called out softly, "Wait. Scene or no scene, you're in here and someone's going know you talked when I take this line. You gonna be okay?"

"Better than most." He didn't look at me, fidgeted a bit. Body language. He wasn't sure. "Sunshine didn't even have the status of a family who gave a damn and she wasn't anyone's pet. I got connections through the Wagners."

Antoine was gone before I could question him on that. No way was I going to chase him down. He'd given me what he was comfortable with when he'd been raised in a place where it's dangerous to snitch. I'd also read between the lines and knew he was afraid. As he'd stepped forward anyway, I was going to honor his wishes. Right now, I'd trust he could take care of himself and that he did have good reasons for keeping things back.

The coffee wasn't steaming as hard anymore so it was safe to take a large gulp. Then I started writing out my notes. I always begin with details and potential questions, adding thoughts, impressions, and ideas with the concrete. Doing it that way helps me think. I won't forget big things, little details can be something else. Those small details can end up being very important. It took me a few minutes.

After training Frickman for so long, I automatically treated Sam the same way. He's smarter than Frickman though. "What do you think?"

"Couple thangs. You coulda got more outta him and the Professor ain't gonna like the way yah pulled Replay in herah. Neither will Scott." He paused, watching me write. "Why'd yah let him go so easy?"

See? Much smarter. I'd gone easy on him, kid knew it too. "Antoine's our only informant, we need to keep on his good side. If we get nowhere with MaryJo and Sunshine's teachers, we can grab him again later. He'll expect that."

"But he knew who did it!" he protested. "We'd have 'em!"

"He didn't witness the crime, he just knows enough to make a very educated guess." God, I really do love this coffee. My cup is almost empty. "Yeah, he knows, but we need evidence, proof, or it doesn't matter what he knows. Neither the law nor Xavier is going to accept one kid's word that the guy did it. He gave us a direction which we didn't have before."

"Some of what he said was real chatty an' didn't seem so important." His brows drawn together, Sam said it with a note of doubt. Good for him.

I shook my head. "Uh-uh, every word out of his mouth applies to the case. Some went to state of mind for him, Sunshine, and the perp." I'd only taken a quick glance up from the legal pad, I wasn't done. This part was a little more nebulous, mostly conjecture. "I was very interested in the student heirarchy that he gave us."

"Huh?" By his tone, I guess that had gone right by him.

"Power, money, appearance, with a little about outside family thown in, and connections within the school itself. Not necessarily in that order and not really very surprising either." But it was unsubstanciated which is what made it 'conjecture'. If I hadn't been thinking along these lines on the way to this little room, I probably wouldn't have clicked to what Antoine was saying. I looked mournfully at my empty cup, hoping Sam would refill it for me. No such luck, he was too busy being ticked off about something. Oh well, I suppose I can walk four feet to get it myself. "What's wrong now?"

"It ain't supposed tah be that way herah. The whole idea is that we're all alike an' supposed tah help each other, not use such petty reasons tah put some down an' bring others up. That just ain't what the Professor's dream is about. Havin' a... 'heirarchy' perverts what this school stands for." Head high, shoulders back, hands clenched in front of him, Sam is the picture of righteousness.

Honestly, I think it's a little naive. That's just the way I am, I deal with the real world. Looks good on Sam, though. Cup now full, I can take my seat while I carefully decide on my response. I like Sam, don't want to but I do. Like upstairs, I don't want to burst his bubble. "If it makes you feel any better, I think Antoine feels the same way. Listen, it's not that anyone has necessarily had a communication failure while discussing morals. You've got a few hundred kids here. Yes, they're mutants, but they're still kids, and they're doing what kids do. That they've developed these little prejudices and clicks makes me more comfortable because they're acting just like the kids in any other High School, just added a couple extra levels. Everyone gets hung up on the fact that they're mutants but this is a reminder that they are human too."

"When Ah first came herah there was just a few of us. We came from all ovah the world, all different ages, different powers, different ways of life, an' we took care of each other." He nodded, more to himself than to me. "That's the way it's supposed tah be."

"I'm sorry but numbers do change things." It's another universal truth: small groups find commonalities and large ones do the opposite. "It's not that bad, and it's even logical. In any school money is a factor, so it is here too. This is also a boarding school. As I understand it, there is always kids at boarding schools with parents who don't care about them, the one's whose parents do care would get some jealousy or envy. In this case, based on what Antoine said, it's a little status. The way someone looks is always a point to pick on." Most of this I had already reasoned through as I wrote my notes. It's getting clearer in my mind as I say it out loud. "The mutant factor of this school adds another layer to that one with physical mutations. There aren't as many of them, they are different, and we've already said they're easy targets."

"An' Sunshine was a minus in all them columns," he pointed out, carrying the conversation back to our victim. Yep, much smarter than Frickman. "She didn't make the board at all with powers."

"I'll bet our perp has all these things and more. He's got money, looks, family--probably a one of those 'family names'--high on the power scale, and is under someone's wing." Thanks to Antoine, that was the beginning of my profile on the perp. Definite progress. "I'll take it a step further and guess he's never been denied anything he wanted, or if he was then he wasn't punished for taking it. Possibly in the past he's gotten back at people who got in his way and Sunshine was more of the same on an escalated level. We won't know for sure until we find out more, but I'll bet that's close."

"Yah got all that from a fifteen minute conversation?" Not sure if he was being incredulous or admiring.

"Some of it's guess work, but I'm reading between the lines and all that." I might be reading way too far, but I'm also thinking that once I have some names to work with I'll have Ansley do some background checking to see if there are any like crimes in any of their home towns.

"Yah didn't say nothin' 'bout powers," he rightly points out.

"Well, you kinda have to expect kids at a mutant school will use the amount of power they have as a ranking mechanism." I'd think that would be obvious. "What scares me is, if they're using those powers to bully the other kids while they're in High School, what are they going to be like in the real world?"

"Ma'am, that's a big part of what they're supposed tah learn here. They're not just learnin' how to use their powers but also the right an' wrong way tah use 'em." The way Sam said it was defensive, maybe with some more of that righteousness thrown in.

He might be right in theory. From what's been said and what I've guess at, I could argue there had been some failure in that area. I'm not going to rub salt in the wound right now though. Sam has to have figured it out. A subject change is in order. "Shouldn't Jubilee and MaryJo be here by now?"

"Jubes had tah talk to Emma too, don't forget. That could surely take up ah chunk of time. She may've had tah find MaryJo." He glanced at his watch anyway. "Shouldn't be long now, Ma'am."

There was a knock on the door exactly as he finished his sentence. Speak of the devil. Not. Well, kinda. It wasn't them, I knew that. Only Logan can knock on a door in just that way, a closed fisted banging reminiscent of a hammer. Has to do with the metal on his bones. The bastard. He didn't wait for an answer, pushing the door so hard it bounced against the wall.

"Found it!" His chest was puffed up with smug pride. "Wasn't easy. Rained in the night, so no scents. Followed the river ta some tracks leadin' right ta where it had ta go down. Ya got yer crime scene."

"After the ladies get here and we finish the interview, you and I will go on a little field trip then." Once again he's come through for me. Because of that and he is my friend, I'm starting to lean towards forgiving him sometime in the very near future. That bit of leniency is in danger as he heads for the coffee pot I'm feeling a great deal of propriety towards. Especially since my cup is almost empty again. Logan's smart enough to curtail it by snagging my cup on his way. Maybe he knows me a little too well too.

"Saw Jubes on the way, be here any second."

It's not that I don't believe him, I'm just in a hurry. I've made progress in good time but Sunshine doesn't have a lot of time. Actually, that reminds me of something. As I go to the doorway, still with the door standing open, I say, "Sam, new assignment. I need you to go find another phone and call the hospital for an update. We want to make sure Sunshine's hanging in there."

"Yes, ma'am." It speaks of trust that he didn't protest. He trusts I'll tell him everything when he gets back and I trust him to do the check without me. All that is good to have in a partner, even a temporary one, but not something I'm going to dwell on. He's also gotten a very good idea of my feelings for Sunshine, another factor to prompt him to just do it.

Sam walks past me and a minute later I see Jubilee with a young girl at her side. MaryJo can easily be visually classified as a geek. She's got all the characteristics: hair unkempt, clothes for comfort rather than fashion, big glasses, and that somewhat out of sync quality they all have. Sunshine's her friend so the air of sadness is expected but the way it hits me isn't. Is it because she's a telepath? Maybe I'll ask.

I take a few more steps closer to meet them, holding out my hand. "Hi, I'm Sanchez. I've got a few questions for you, MaryJo. Nothing to be nervous about."

The hand that shook mine trembled and the words I heard inside my head were like a shout. 'YES, I-I UNDERSTAND.'

Jubilee nodded reassuringly to us both.

And I suddenly felt the need to duck. But there was no one else in the hall now. My hand automatically reached for a gun that wasn't there. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!

At my side, MaryJo's eyes went wide as saucers under fancy cups. She reached for me, I heard her shout echo through my head, 'NOOOOOOOOOO...!!'

'...NOOOOOOOO...!'

'...nooooo...'

to be continued.

note: Weren't expecting that, were you? Not sure exactly what happened, are you? That's okay, Sanchez wasn't expecting it and has no clue either. You'll find out in the next chapter.

As some of you guessed, MaryJo is from "A Moment In Time". If you haven't read it and want to know about her, there ya go. Antione/Replay is new so don't bother looking for him. I've said in previous stories that I can see Jenny and Kurt having many foster kids and he's one of them. In other stories there will be more but I think he's it for this one.

Next chapter will definitely be on time. I'm still going to wait the usual two weeks to post it because I want to have chapter 10 done, but chapter 9 will be here in two weeks from today.

Thanks for reading and the support,
Dizi