Chapter 46

As Jean walks into the startlingly similar to the Danger Room chamber she had a bad feeling about this. The one called Hellion had this certain gleam in his eye and M...she gave off the same sort of arrogant superiority Jean associated normally with Emma...and she got that from the 5 words they exchanged as they were on the tour. Jean didn't have a judgement yet on the one called Bevatron and as for Volcana...Jean was as much in shock at the fact her fellow redhead was here, with Emma, as the rest of her friends.

Hellion smiles dangerously. "Lets make it simple. Rules are last team standing wins. Beyond that anything goes," he proposes.

"We accept your terms," Storm decides to say on behalf of them all. This would be a good way to see what type of persons these are along with discovering their abilities in a relatively controlled environment.

"Ready when you are Ms F!" Hellion shouts up to the control room for Ms Frost to signal them to start.

Emma's voice comes over the loudspeaker. "Begin!"

"Volcana, covering fire," Hellion instantly orders.

Volcana's hair transforms into fire as she raises her hands and sends a stream of fire at her 4 opponents.

In response Superman inhales and unleashes his ice-breath, not only blowing the fire out but creating a mass of ice between his team and the 4 Hellions.

"That's new," Claire mumbles, her eyes a little wide in surprise. She had never seen him do that before. Then again she is also sure there is something about him she has forgotten.

Cyclops instantly takes charges. "Storm into the air. Superman zip in behind them and divert their focus into two. Jean..."

Scott never finishes his commands as M comes flying, literally, through the ice barrier, shattering it easily and collides directly into Superman, driving him all the way back until he collides with the metal wall, denting it severely. A quick barrage of punches hit, into what would be the weak points on a human being. Punches that pack quite some strength behind them but Clark has fought stronger. He almost effortless catches a punch and M's eyes widen in mild shock. Being a gentleman Clark decides on a less aggressive means to push his opponent away and simply blows out a superbreath.

M is caught off guard and goes tumbling head over heels several times before she manages to stop herself. Her eyes narrow in determination. No common little superhero is going to show her up.

Hellion sneers and focusses his attention on Jean. "Lets see which of us is stronger carrot-top," he says insultingly as he challenges Jean. He levitates the chunks of ice off the floor and flings them at her.

Jean raises her hand and forms not a straight shield but one with a curve that sends the chunks right round her body and back at Hellion who, being nowhere near as subtle as Jean merely forms a bubble around himself as a shield.

Hellion's eyes narrow. If she thinks she can show him up she is so wrong. He'll show her which of them is the better telekinetic.

Storm hovers over Claire, still trying to comprehend what the fiery girl is doing here. Volcana looks up with dread. Storm was...well really, really good as she recalls from training back at the Institute. However she will do her best. "Want to see a new trick Ms Frost taught me Storm?" Volcana asks, as her eyes glow intensely with fire. The fire that is her hair flares up, the air around her distorts and Volcana rises off the ground until she is hovering the same height as Storm.

Storm takes a moment to assess this new development. "Very impressive," she remarks and she thinks she can figure out how Claire is doing it. The same way she does it, rising on updrafts, only they create them differently. Storm simply summons an updraft. Claire's heat generates one.

"Yeah? Well lets see if you find this impressive," Claire says before she brings her hand to her lips and blows out a kiss...of streaming fire.

Storm places her hand out in front of her and makes a circular motion. A mini twister forms and blows the fire back at Claire. It diffuses harmlessly around her body. She's fireproof after all.

"You know my own fire can't fucking hurt me!" Claire yells.

"I see your language still requires improvement," Storm lightly criticises. "And I don't need to attack you directly Claire."

"What?"

Storm summons an icy cold wind and directs it not at Claire but just beneath her, cooling the thermal updraft that is lifting her and down Volcana drops instantly. Storm swoops in, grabs a flailing arm, slowing the girl's descent before she throws her into the wall of the room, just hard enough to daze Volcana and no more.

Electricity crackles between Bevatron's hands as he charges up. "Lets us see who is quicker off the draw Monsieur Summers shall we? Just like the Wild West you Americans love to portray in your movies," he proposes in his thick French accent.

Scott's eyes narrow with determination behind his visor. His fingers twitch in readiness. "Your move. Call it."

Bevatron's upper lip curls as he stares at his opponent. "Draw!" he yells and discharges an electrical attack at Cyclops.

Scott drops to the floor, letting the electrical blast fly over his head. As he is falling his hand is going to his visor. He fires off an optical beam and strikes Bevatron dead centre in the chest sending the young French man flying until he lands on his back, groaning in pain. Seems Scott's perfect record of being quicker on the draw is still intact.

Just then the floor under Scott starts to lift up as a laser turret pops up. Several pop up and more from the walls and ceilings appear. "Friendly competition? Right," Scott mutters as is forced to roll and dodge the incoming fire before he returns fire hitting at the ones on the walls and ceilings.

"Expect the unexpected goggle-boy!" Hellion shouts as he continues his telekinetic battle with Jean. He reaches out and forcibly aims a turret at Jean with his TK. Jean is forced to take her focus off him and block a shot allowing Hellion to strike her with a TK pulse before he telekinetically throws and pins Jean to a wall. His eyes narrow with deadly intent as he prepares to finish this only to find lightning crash into the ground directly in front of him sending Julian flying back. He lands on his back and groans as the image of Storm swoops in over him. This is what he gets for not paying attention to his surroundings.

Back with M she simply walks through the fire the turrets are unleashing, uncaring as the blasts bounce harmlessly off her invulnerable frame, as she narrows the gap to Superman. She brushes her hair back with a grace and finesse few possess as if she is simply walking across a road. "You and I are of a kind," she states.

"Really?" Superman questions that notion.

"We are the superior."

"Actually where I come from I'm pretty average."

"There is no need to fawn modesty."

"I don't think you can farm modesty."

"I said fawn. Now farm!"

"No. You said farm. Trust me, my hearing's just a bit better than average."

Monet's eye twitches. "Are you idiotic?"

"Are we reduced to insults? I thought you were better than that. Superior? Wasn't that what you said?"

Monet's mouth opens agape. No-one has ever turned her words around on her like that.

"Careful. You'll catch flies," Superman rolls off with a cheeky grin.

Monet's brown eyes darken. "You will learn that Monet St Croix is more than superior. I am perfection," she states with absolute belief in her words.

"Except for your right eye being a few millimetres lower than your left. You lack perfect symmetry."

Monet's hands clench into fists. "That's not true!" she snaps.

Superman shrugs. "Don't believe me if you choose not to."

"I won't believe you! Now lets us see which of us is truly invulnerable!" she challenges him. Monet breaks into a sprint.

For any normal person she would cover the ground close to instantaneously but, really, Clark doubts she is moving at more than a hundred if that. He easily side-steps her, shoves his hand into her back and sends her careening head first into the wall.

Monet pushes herself off and in the wall has been left an impression of her face. She back flips off the ground, turns in mid-air and aims a flying kick at Superman...who catches her foot.

Superman then whips her round and smashes her through a turret, using her invulnerable body to break it. "Here's the thing Monet St Croix," he starts to say as he whips her round, over his head and puts her through another turret. "You have a lot to learn." He whips her round and into another turret. "You see invulnerability as a reason you're superior."

Once more Monet goes on a trip through the air and through a 4th turret. This is beyond humiliating.

Superman continues his lecture, "However your invulnerability, in the right hands, is in actuality a weakness that can be used against your teammates. Let me demonstrate."

Still holding on to her foot Superman spins round and round, faster and faster, spinning Monet round and round in a blur. He travels all across the room using her to smash the turrets that had popped up from the floor to pieces before he lets her go and she collides into the barely recovered Bevatron. Her invulnerable body knocking him clean out.

Superman zips over. "How's that for a perfect aim?" he asks as he looks down at Monet who is so dizzy she can't tell which way is up and down. Her stomach feels like...oh no!

The contents of Monet's stomach end up all over poor Bevatron.

Superman makes a face. "Whoa. I didn't know anyone's face could go that colour," he says in amusement at the literally green at the gills M.

Meanwhile Jean had recovered from her tussle with Hellion and was assisting Cyclops is disabling the defences.

"Just like home huh?" Scott says as he fires off blasts and Jean protects the two of them.

Jean has to smile a little. Him and her back to back, covering each other. "Yeah. Just like home."

Volcana is still lying in a daze...and alright really she isn't in any rush to get back up. She really doesn't want to be doing this. Fighting her friends. She told Ms Frost, when she agreed to join the Academy, she wouldn't know if she could do this until the time came. Well the time has come and she isn't happy at fighting her...they're still her friends so she'll just lie here. She put on a show. Got her ass handed to her. Ms Frost can chew her out later for all the zero fucks Claire gives.

That leaves Storm to deal with Hellion who she hovers above.

"You're going to pay for that," Hellion growls for what she did as he gets back to his feet.

"Am I?" Storm asks back, a single white eyebrow arched sceptically.

"You're no match for me!" Hellion declares cockily.

Storm remains calms. "I am out-powered am I?"

"Yeah," Hellion states with absolute certainty.

"You are powerful from what I saw, no doubt, but what you gained in power you have lost in visual acuity."

Hellion is perplexed, his forehead creases. "My eyesight's just fine."

"You have lost all perspective. You think your power alone can win you this battle. Power, strength, these things alone do not a battle win."

"Yeah? We'll see of you still think that after I have crushed you like a bug!" Hellion snarls. He rips a piece of the floor out with his telekinesis and throws it at her.

Storm remains perfectly calm as she lets herself glide back and lighting flings from her hands, impacting the steel section and blasting it aside.

Hellion throws another piece which Storm deflects just as easily. Hellion's face twists in frustration and he uses his TK to fling himself at her. If he can just get his hands on her he should be physically stronger and able to subdue her.

Storm remains as calm as ever. She raises her hand above her head and forms a cloud and out of it comes hail which strikes at Hellion. In moments the icy pellets grow in size and intensity striking Hellion hard, making him lose his concentration. Before he can respond Storm has him caught in a swirling twist of wind, spinning him around, raising him higher and higher. Storm spins him faster and faster until it becomes too much and he passes out and goes limp. Storm gently returns him to the floor as the room shuts down.

Shortly after the two groups of students and instructors enter the room. Emma is wearing a pleasant smile despite the defeat her team just suffered. She'll be making them train twice as hard tomorrow for this débâcle. "I must congratulate you Charles. You have trained them well," she gives him praise.

"Thank you Emma," Charles replies.

"Vay to go guys!" Nightcrawler exclaims.

"You guys totally rock!" Shadowcat joins in the praise.

"Well we try," Superman jokes.

Roulette slides her way back to Superman's side. "You most certainly do," she purrs. "How about later you and I try to get to know each other better."

Rogue growls under her breath. She swears she will kill that little blond floozy.

Tarot, meanwhile, has gone to aid her girlfriend. "You alright?" she asks Claire, worry clearly written on her face.

Claire rubs her head. "Yeah I'm fine," she says, sounding a little grouchy.

A few of the Hellions burst into giggles. It's because of Monet's appearance. "That's a new colour on you St Croix!" Beef mocks, pointing at her still rather green complexion.

"It really suits you," Jetstream adds, laughing heartedly.

Monet glares. They will all pay. Mark her words. Her eyes then notice in disbelief that even her little sisters are giggle like immature 5 year olds. Family. Who needs them. Certainly not Monet St Croix. She needs no-one but her own perfect self.

Emma ends up chuckling lightly herself as Monet's appearance was amusing and a slight ego deflation would not harm Monet at all. It might do her some good...although inwardly she was rather annoyed at how easily Superman seemed to outclass Monet. "Yes, all highly amusing. Why don't we return to the main building," she proposes. "The students can enjoy the refreshments I have had prepared in the common area while Charles and I can talk about the future." She turns to the Professor. "We can go to my office and talk privately if that is suitable with you?" she asks.

"Of course," Charles agrees.

Bevatron gets to his feet muttering some unpleasantries in French about the state he is after M threw up all over him. God the smell. This uniform is getting burned.

"Somebody wake Julian up please," Emma requests of one of her students at the still lying limp boy.

King Bedlam stands over Hellion, kneel down and gives him a short, sharp slap across his face.

Hellion's eyes snap open, an angry frown on his face as he rubs his cheek "What was that for?" he demands to know, not in the least bit happy.

King Bedlam rolls his eyes and shakes his head in disappointment as a leader would when he sees his team fail him.

A short time later, after leaving the students to 'mingle' in the common area, Charles follows Emma into her office. She moves round and sits in her chair while Charles cmes to a stop on the opposite side. "Where do you wish to begin?" she asks him where does he wish to start this discussion.

"How about where your students took a friendly competition a little too seriously?" Charles proposes, his eyebrow quirked in an unhappy manner.

"I teach my students to be the best in everything they do. That includes even a little friendly competition. Second best is never acceptable. Besides Charles, don't tell me your students are afraid of a few bruises?" Emma laughs lightly. "Come now. Your students did win after all."

"Superman is not a student although I'm flattered you call him such. I would be proud if he were."

"Yes Superman. His thought patterns are most unusual."

"Emma. Did you try and scan his mind?" Charles asks warily.

"Certainly not," she denies the accusation which is, of course, a lie. She did. "It was merely an observation any telepath would make in his presence."

"As you said at the lunch Emma, Superman is unusual. However I see you have your own superhuman," Charles says changing the subject off of Clark before Emma gets too nosy.

"Monet? Yes. Fascinating isn't she. Her x-gene enhances everything about her. Her body, her mind."

"Her ego," Charles quips. It had only taken a short time in the presence of the girl to see how large it was.

Emma laughs. "Yes, well, that was not my doing. That is how I found her. Superman, however, seems to have the edge in strength and speed." Emma lightly frowns, still annoyed about that.

"That is how I found him," Charles jokes dryly.

"Touché," Emma says.

"You never mentioned Volcana was attending your academy," Charles mentions, a little suspicious of that. Of course this explains why Cerebro couldn't find her. Claire was shielded by being here.

"There seemed no reason to. It made no difference to what we were discussing, speaking of which, shall we return to that?" Emma suggests, deciding a discussion about Volcana is not something she desires right here and now.

Charles has many questions about Volcana but Emma obviously doesn't want to talk about it so he agrees with her wish to talk about their 'alliance'. "Of course. The obvious issue Emma is that the difference of opinion between us still remains. You wish to take on a more aggressive posture in dealing with humans which I believe will only backfire upon us."

"Nonsense," Emma dismisses that argument. "Humans need to know we can and will defend ourselves. It's all well and good wishing to discuss peace with humans but it must be done from a position of strength."

"Emma I am perfectly prepared to defend our kind when they are threatened," Charles defends himself and his philosophy.

"Reactive Charles. It's always reactive. You always wait for them to make the move. We need to strike them before they hurt us. At least someone agrees with me. Have you seen the reports of the FOH meetings that have been attacked recently?"

Charles sighs, sadly. "Yes."

"It's Magneto. Isn't it," Emma can guess from the reports she has seen about the attacks.

"Yes," Charles says with even more sadness. He had no doubt that Erik was behind it. Although why this sudden upsurge in his actions when he's been deathly quiet for months is a mystery.

"You can't possibly be surprised that he has done so."

"Surprised? No. Just saddened."

Emma almost rolls her eyes. Sentimental old fool. "These 'Friends of Humanity', the other mutant-hate groups. You just sit there and do nothing while they plot our extinction. Even you, Charles, must see they must be confronted."

"Confronted through a battle of ideas Emma. As much as you and I may not like them they have a right to say what they want."

"They don't have a right to plot how to murder us!" Emma says almost spitefully.

"I agree but what's the response Emma? We murder them instead? That's not a solution. That's Magneto's solution."

Emma crosses her right leg over her left and calms her emotions. "Look Charles, there is a way we can unite. I am willing to temper my position slightly. I am not proposing to kill anyone but we can disrupt their plans, discreetly, out of public view. You continue to publicly talk up your agenda of peace and equality. I deal with the threats to our kind and all you have to do is let me."

"You're proposing some kind of mutant black-ops team?"

"Not the way I would phrase it but essentially yes. The X-Men remain in public view letting the public see them as heroes, acting like heroes do, drawing the public's attention and focus. This provides the perfect cover for me to deal with our enemies, who do not remotely think or act like you do, out of view."

Charles would be uncomfortable with what Emma is proposing even if he didn't know this was all a front, a deception on part of the Inner Circle. Attacking these people head on only risks inflaming, rather than easing, the tensions which is why he hasn't done it. They must win the battle of ideas with these mutant-hate groups. However, he needs to keep this relationship with Emma going until he can find out what the Inner Circle has planned so needs to carefully choose his response to be non-committal. "I'm not saying yes," he starts off.

"You're not saying no," Emma gently retorts with a gentile smile.

"If I was to even consider it, and I would take a considerable amount of time thinking it over, there would be safeguards and rules I'm not certain you would be happy with," he warns her.

"We can discuss the precise rules Charles. It would at least be something we can attempt to form an alliance on."

"I will need to go away and ponder deeply on it Emma."

"Of course. I never expected us to settle this today," she assures him.

"I will certainly think on it and then perhaps you and a few of your students could come to the Institute and meet the rest of mine," Charles vaguely makes an offer to reciprocate what Emma did. Again mostly for appearances.

"Sounds delightful," Emma says, her smile masking, as always, what her true feelings are.

Later, after the X-Men have left, Emma enters the War Room where she finds Isobel still sitting, looking immensely relaxed. "What do you know of Superman?"

Isobel turns her head and looks at Emma with a strange smile. "Something bothering you Emma?"

"Shaw told me he is a key to some power."

"He is," Isobel confirms. "But I doubt that's what you're asking about so how about you drop the games. I am not my mother nor Xavier," she tells Emma to simply say it.

"He defeated Monet easily."

"That arrogant brat," Isobel scoffs. "She has a higher opinion of herself than she deserves. She will learn, if today did not teach her, they are beings superior to her to whom she is nothing but a gnat."

"I couldn't read his mind."

"And?"

"I wasn't blocked. I literally could not read it."

"Is there a point you're trying to get to?"

"What is he?" Emma asks the question because from today's events she has gotten the distinct impression he is far more than just an exceptionally strange and powerful mutant.

"That, my dear Emma, is indeed the question," Isobel essentially confirms Emma's suspicions.

"You don't know, do you," Emma gleams from that.

"My mother does. She chooses to keep that information to herself," Isobel reveals. Her mother hasn't gone beyond calling Clark's father, and therefore Clark himself, as an abomination but Isobel is certain her mother knows far more than she is saying about what precisely Clark is. Isobel also suspects far more went on with this Jor-El than simply his defeat of her mother due to how vitriolic the language is when her mother talks about the man. It seems personal. However, her mother refuses to be drawn on talking on the subject so for now Isobel will have to remain in the dark...but only for now. After all not many people can claim to have defeated her mother so finding out what happened will be part of Isobel finding the means to free herself from her mother's control.

Emma looks at Isobel curiously after that last reply and concludes, "She doesn't trust you."

"My mother does not know the meaning of the word. To her everyone is simply a tool to be used and discarded," Isobel says waspishly.

"You're her daughter," Emma points out and in a way asking if that previous statement applies to Isobel.

"My mother has been alive for at least 3000 years. Imagine how many children she has had in that amount of time and then ask yourself where are they now," Isobel replies and in a roundabout way confirms that to her mother everyone, even her own children, are nothing but tools to be used for Selene's own personal gain.

Emma can guess that they're probably no longer 'around' and that Selene is the reason why. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you won't tell her. You hate her as much as she hates you."

"You sound so certain of that," Emma says, a little annoyed at the presumption.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Isobel dares and when Emma doesn't she smiles triumphantly. Isobel sobers. "I'll be blunt Emma. I don't have the time to be otherwise. I need an ally against my mother. Once she has used me for whatever it is she wants I'll be expelled from this vessel and banished to whatever Hell my mother can conjure up for me."

"And what do I get out of this for taking such a risk?" Emma asks and it is a possibly grave risk.

"The way to be rid of my mother."

"If it was that easy you would have done it when you were alive."

"I never said it was easy," Isobel rebukes Emma, "and you're correct, it is not but once I have the power I seek I can overcome her," she says with certainty.

"And to gain that power you need Superman. A difficult proposition considering his power," Emma cautions.

"For you, maybe, but I have fought him before and defeated him," Isobel states proudly.

"We don't need to defeat him though do we?" Emma questions that premise.

"No. Not really," Isobel concedes. "We just want the knowledge in his head."

"Knowledge about?" Emma inquires

"I am no so foolish to give up my advantage Emma," Isobel warns the telepath off from trying to trick her into giving everything away.

"Well I can't get inside his head," Emma reiterates the point she made at the start of this conversation.

"With my help you can," Isobel tells Emma.

Emma arches an eyebrow. Now she was interested. "Really?"

"I defeated him because his vaunted invulnerability doesn't stretch to my magic. My magic can get you inside his head and I'm certain you know what to do after that."

Emma starts to smile widely. Oh yes she knows exactly what to do once she gets inside his head...only it may not be what Isobel envisions.

On the flight back home the X-Men discuss how the day went. A few were creeped out by some of Emma's students.

"A few of them are pieces of work," Logan mutters to Storm, in not glowing terms, about Emma's students as he observed them during the course of the day they spent at the Academy.

Ororo agreed. Some of them had quite cold, dark expressions. A fondness for violence and aggression she would say. They would never, ever be considered as X-Men. Although she wouldn't say all of them were like that. Some seemed quite nice. Like that Marie girl who hit it off with Kitty. They spent quite some time chatting over clothes, shopping and celebrity gossip.

Rogue was sitting stewing over the way the little blond floozy kept throwing herself at Clark all day and she was pissed at him for not being more forceful in telling the girl to get lost. He doesn't seem to notice her foul mood as his expression was off into the distance.

Kurt, too, had noticed Clark's expression. "You alright mein friend?"

"Hmm? What?" Clark asks as his mind returns to the here and now.

"You're far avay," Kurt says.

Clark gives a small apologetic smile. "Sorry. Thinking," he explains.

"About?"

"Volcana actually." And Clark has no idea how to break that revelation about where Claire is to his mother or how she'll take it. His mother had put so much effort into Claire that it hurt her deeply when Claire left and his mother doesn't need this dropped on her after the revelation of who Sebastian Shaw is.

Kurt had been as surprised as anyone to see where Claire had ended up after leaving them. "Vhat troubles you Clark?"

"Wanda's spell in regards to me, remember?" he asks in reference to the one where many people no longer remember Clark is Superman.

"Ja," Kurt says, puzzled as he doesn't see the relevance unless Clark means... "She doesn't remember you, does she?"

"I don't think so. I did manage to talk to her a little and there was just no recognition in her eyes...and I'm annoyed at myself because part of me is pleased."

"Zhat your secret is safe from Ms Frost and her allies," Kurt can figure out.

A heavy guilty expression comes to Clark's face as he nods to confirm that. He shouldn't be happy. Claire is his friend. He already messed up her life once when her parents were killed and she became meteor infected the day he fell to Earth. Now her memory has, most likely, been messed with.

"It's not your fault Clark," Kurt tries to make his friend feel better. "You vere not responsible for zhat spell. Madeleine vas mainly at fault and as for Claire she made her choice to leave before any of zhat happened and as I recall isn't zhat vhy you go out every night. To defend people's right to choose."

Clark smiles a little at Kurt's words of support. "Yeah. Yes it is," he confirms.

"And if I vere you, knowing vhat ve know now, I vould be pleased too, zhat mein secret is safe."

"I should have more trust in Claire to keep my secret regardless. That's why I'm annoyed at myself Kurt."

"I believe you trust her but zhat doesn't mean you can't vorry a little as vell you know. You can do both."

"Maybe," Clark purses his lips but still part of him feels he should not be pleased Claire has forgotten his secret. He moves on to something else he has been pondering. "I wonder how Claire ended up there. She wasn't forthcoming with detail."

"No change zhere zhen," Kurt lightly jokes. Claire was never the most talkative person.

Clark chuckles a little. That was true.

"I'm sure one day ve'll find zhe truth and zhat one day Claire will return to us."

"Faith Kurt?"

"Alvays mein friend. Never lose faith in zhat God has a plan for all of us."

Clark's not a particularly religious person because what kind of plan involves leaving him the last survivor of his species. He takes a breath. "Well I truly hope Claire's happy with her choice. You know I think she might have a girlfriend."

"Really? How do you know zhat?"

Clark taps on his nose. "I could smell strongly the French girl on Claire, the one who called herself Tarot."

"Oh. Vell...she's certainly very different," Kurt remarks about the difference in personality between Claire and Tarot. In fact it is surprising they would be a couple.

Clark shrugs. "Love's a funny thing. I mean just look around at who we're all dating."

"Zhat's very true," Kurt concedes with a smile.

Hank looks at Charles deep in thought. "So what's our next move?" he wonders.

"We have to string Emma along until we get more information. I'll need to contact Sage about it. We still don't know why we are suddenly getting this attention," Charles points out something they never found out.

"None of her students said anything. Either they're very good or they don't know."

"I would go with the second possibility. Emma would keep that information down to as few as possible. Herself only if she could get away with it."

"You judging that on what you know of Emma or Shaw?"

"Both really. At the very least Hank we learned something of what Emma's students are capable of."

"Yes they were not shy about boasting about their powers," Hank agrees. Emma had seemed to be teaching them how they were better and superior and should say so.

"We both know this is only the beginning. We must remain cautious and plan each move carefully," Charles explains how they handle this going forward.

At the Institute...

It is well into the evening before they get back to the mansion. Upon returning they find the New Mutants have had their own adventure during the day, signified by the torn uniforms and bruises and cuts.

"What happened to you guys?" Evan asks upon seeing them.

The New Mutants look at Sam who in turn looks to Clark. "Turns out that Prankster guy had a sidekick who decided to kidnap us and use us as bait to lure you into a trap and get his revenge upon you for capturing his mentor."

More guilt swells up inside Clark. "Guys...I'm really sorry," he apologises. "I didn't know anything about a sidekick. What happened?"

Sam groans a little in pain. "We got a message from the Professor saying to meet you at this place on the edge of Bayville and yes before anyone says it the Professor obviously never sent any message. We get that. It was the little sidekick obviously. Anyway this place was underground and, I guess, the Prankster had been building it for awhile and it was like some sort of twisted fairground with lethal games."

"Lethal?" Clark questions that, very perplexed. "The Prankster was annoying but his stuff was never lethal."

"I guess the sidekick has a more extreme view on what constitutes a fun game," Ray mutters angrily.

Sam continues the story. "So anyway, he lured us there and trapped us. However we, obviously, were never just going to sit there as bait of the day and wait for you guys to show. We managed to escape his little funhouse just about in one piece but so did the sidekick before we could get our hands on him."

"And when we do get our hands on him I am so killing the twisted little pervert!" Tabby swears, furious at what she and her friends were subjected to in that little fun-house of horrors.

Sam places a hand on his girlfriend's arm and rubs it slightly to try and calm her.

The Professor tries to bring order to the proceedings. "Hank if you will take them down to the infirmary," he requests. He then addresses the New Mutants. "I promise you we'll look into this," he says seriously. It angers him when his students are in danger and there are questions to be asked like how this sidekick managed to fake a message from him. That shouldn't be possible. They'll have to review all their security.

"Did this sidekick have a name?" Clark asks so he can look into it. He feels partially responsible having been chasing after Loomis and not knowing anything about any sidekick.

Sam pauses for one moment from leaving to go to the infirmary. "Yeah. He called himself Arcade."

Author's Note: Plans within plots and plots within plans...and a randomly thrown in mention of Arcade all for good measure. In the comics Selene's age has been put at up to 17,000 years old. As you may have noticed in these last 2 chapters I decided just to reign it in to something a little more sensible at closer to 3,000 meaning she was still around before the rise of Rome...or at least that is what anyone can find out because Selene lies about her true age. I'll try to leave it a little ambiguous. Perhaps that is the best way. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; All the plotting, planning and scheming in the world mean nothing when a sudden death changes everything.