Hello! I'm sorry for the delay I had finals to deal with! Hopefully we will continue back on schedule! There are some time skips in this chapter to keep things tidy. Lots of action and plot movement in this one!

The attack came so quickly that night. Logan was able to organize the students and get them to safety thanks to a well practiced evacuation drill. However towards the end he got distracted as one of the intruders taunted him as knowing about his past. The temptation almost overcame him before Bobby saved him by blocking them off with an ice wall. He shouted in denial but he was soon pulled away.

Bellion had been out enjoying the night life of the Garden when he saw the attack. He stood and ran to come help the children. He wandered hall after hall, his fear rising as he found no children and only the leftovers of an attack. He rounded a corner and came face to face with strange black figures and a man standing between them "Well lookie here boys…we have ourselves a straggler."

XXX

Scott drove the professor through the gates of the school and they could easily tell something was horribly wrong. There were no lights on in the school. Scott looked over to Xavier and saw the stricken look on his mentor's face and asked "What's wrong?" His voice was strained at the possibilities.

The professor couldn't bring himself to speak and Scott hurried to pull into the garage.

They wandered through the School and Scott couldn't help but feel as though he was walking through a ghost town. A pop was open in the kitchen, the T.V was still on. Signs that whatever happened had happened quickly and gave no warning before it struck. Scott looked at Xavier and saw the sign of tears in the man's eyes as cold anger started to show. "Contact Jean immediately." the professor ordered.

Scott went to get a communicator when he heard something crack under his shoe. He pulled his foot back and felt a tight knot of fear form in his gut. "Professor…" He said softly as he bent over and picked it up. It was a strand of beads with a bell attached at the end; it was one of Bellion's hair decorations.

The fear in the Professor's face grew perceptively as he said again "Please, hurry and call Jean. Our time may be running out."

Scott couldn't believe what had happened to their school. Sure sometimes they had been attacked directly, but never the school itself… and never the children. He shook his head as he clutched Bellion's hair decoration. How had this happened?

They did a search of the school and found Hank injured in the lab. It seemed that he had been caught in the action but then was able to get to safety before he had been found. Xavier rolled up to his close friend and put a comforting hand on the struggling man as Scott retrieved medical supplies. "What happened?"

Hank looked up at the Professor and shook his head "It was so fast…"

He closed his eyes as he tried to gather his thoughts so that he could explain them easily. He started at one of the first things that he remembered "Bellion got restless and asked that I do the tests tonight… he was afraid he would lose his nerve… He came to me for the blood tests and then found you before you left…

(Flashback)

Bellion poked his head into the medical bay and looked around cautiously before a boisterous laugh shocked him and he turned sharply and found himself faced with what seemed to be a giant blue man beast.

Hank looked down at the School's newest guest and couldn't help but laugh. "Yes I am sad to say I don't have many willing visitors come to see me. I'm afraid that I've gotten used to it…"

Bellion bowed his head to the medicine man he had seen in his visions and said politely "Forgive my disrespect… I was a bit startled by your sudden arrival."

Hank raised a brow at the polite young man and gave a hearty pat on the back to him. "As I said I am quite used to it." He smiled and said "Though I rarely get such a formal apology."

As he spoke he carefully looked over his visitor. Charles had wanted him to run the standard least intrusive tests he could out of respect to their private guest. Of course this was all supposed to wait until tomorrow…but it seemed even the calm shaman could get nervous.

Bellion sat uneasily on the table and pulled lightly at the garb that the medicine man required him to wear. He was allowed to keep on his accessories as they were part of his identity. He was grateful that they were acknowledging he was doing this more for them rather than himself.

Hank found the newest guest fascinating. He was obviously here only as a favor to the Professor. He was also very intrigued by the instruments surrounding him. He hid his smile of amusement behind his clipboard. He would run some body fluid tests and let the poor man go.

XXX

Bellion had then opted to be absent when Xavier and Hank met to discuss the results of his test. He was once again out in the gardens, meditating on his decision to let them explore his powers.

Hank looked over the tests in silence before taking off his glasses and looking evenly at the professor "His levels are incredibly healthy and as for the presence of X… it is in his system." He almost seemed disappointed at his own finding and then shrugged and said "I suppose there was no other explanation for his powers."

Xavier nodded his head in understanding at Hank's response. "Yes he also allowed me to take a look into his mind." He was lost in thought for a moment before he continued "His mind was like a complex web…spreading all around. I asked him to meditate as I observed and I could see his conscious follow different threads of the web."

Hank looked up at him "So what explanation do you have for this?"

Charles was thoughtful before he explained "I believe he is a telepath…very strangely, he does not open his mind to others, he instead uses his telepathic abilities when he meditates. When he is searching for answers he uses his telepathic ability helps him search for those answers." He folded his hands for a moment before continuing "Considering he has never been around other mutants… he as an incredible amount of control."

(Back to the Lab)

Scott nodded, knowing what Bellion had done while they discussed their results.

(Flashback)

Scott had finished his lessons for the day and was inspired by Bellion to go for a walk in the gardens. Before the mysterious Shaman had appeared Scott had never paid them much mind. Now he was able to appreciate the beauty of the gardens and wondered how he could have missed it before.

Bellion looked up from where he was laying. It was a lovely sunset and he was spread out on the grass absorbing the world around him. He had felt someone approaching and smiled in welcome as Scott came into view.

Scott saw the warm smile on Bellion's face and was surprised at his own reaction. He saw Bellion spread out on the grass, his tidy hair slightly disheveled from lying on the ground and his outfit of Kimono like folded cloth was slightly loosened; the sight made his heart skip. He collected himself with a smile and sat down next to Bellion "How did the tests go?"

The Shaman smiled and said "Your Medicine man is very kind and patient. I believe that he and the Professor are discussing the results now…I was not interested in what they had to say."

No matter how much Bellion said it Scott couldn't believe that a mutant would have no interest in what their powers were and what they could do. Though as he looked at Bellion now he wasn't surprised, it was Bellion after all.

He sighed and looked out on the school grounds, a comfortable silence floating between them as the sun started to sink lower. "The professor wants to visit an old friend tonight."

Bellion had smiled "That sounds pleasant…Jean and Storm are still after the Rouge correct?"

At Scott's nod Bellion laughed "Than it really will be only Logan and I tonight." He shook his head "I hope he finds the answers he is looking for soon…"

Scott didn't know if he was talking about the Professor or Logan but it was time for him to take the professor to his visit.

He laid a hand across Bellion's slender shoulders and said "Don't worry… We'll be back soon to save you from Logan." He laughed at the confused expression on the other's face and hurried back to the school. Leaving Bellion alone in the garden with his thoughts.

(End of Flashback)

Scott looked over to the Professor "What happened next? I took you for your visit right?"

Charles was quiet for a moment "Yes…but not right away I was dealing with a student's personal problem. He sighed as Scott moved to finish bandaging Hank whose wounds were almost finished.

(Flashback)

Charles had been watching out his favorite window, the one that looked out into the garden and was happy to spy the closeness that was growing between Scott and Bellion. Scott had no close friends besides Jean…and Bellion could certainly use someone he could trust.

He turned when he sensed he was no longer alone in his mind and was surprised to feel Jean entering with somber emotions. He knew that she was more insecure than she let on and reassured her "Their closeness will only benefit them in the future."

Jean shook her head, so disturbed by what she had just seen that she had no time to worry about how close Scott was growing with another. "Professor…I saw something…But I don't understand what it was…"

Xavier grew concerned and turned his full attention to her "What is it Jean?" He knew Jean's abilities, but he also knew she had more inside her than others assumed.

Jean was quiet for a moment "I saw…I saw myself standing somewhere with snow…There was a tidal wave coming towards me, the Blackbird was behind me and I knew that the wave would kill us all… Somehow I managed to get the Blackbird to safety and then the water closed around me."

The Professor nodded solemnly "We will talk about this more when you return… If more of these come to you inform me immediately." He could feel Jean's relief as she left his mind and he hoped his fears weren't true.

He looked up at Scott as he entered the room and smiled at the flushed expression on his face. He was glad to see one of his closest students growing and developing. He felt that warmth turn cold as he realized the possibilities that Jean's vision presented. "Let's go…" He said softy.

He didn't know what that vision meant… and he would wait for Jean's return before they explored it further.

(End Flashback)

After they were sure Hank would be alright they went through the school to find more clues about what had happened during their short absence. Whoever had attacked must have known that most of the X Men would be gone that night. The professor searched for any physic residue as Scott tried to bring the Security system back online.

He gave a small shout of joy when he recovered the security footage and started screening through the last recorded images. It seemed that whoever had attacked hadn't thought about security cameras.

His eyes immediately searched for Bellion and he felt his chest tighten when he watched the Shaman come around the corner and was faced with the intruders. "Well lookie here boys… we have ourselves a straggler"

Scott heard on the screen and felt his heart go cold as Bellion struggled futilely to get away. He watched as the men in black suits dragged the young man out. He was about to rewind back to just before he and the Professor left when he spotted a familiar face in the footage.

"Stryker."

Thank You so much for your patience! Hope this action packed chapter was a thrill!