Jean- Luc sat in the chair in front of his desk, drinking a glass of his favorite wine. The whole day has been infuriating as of late, and he felt that he definitely deserved this little bit of time to indulge himself; especially after dealing with that little traitor, Remy.

Just thinking about Remy made him want to go down to that basement and beat the living daylights out of that boy himself, but he knew he couldn't. Ever since that little brat had tried to steal from his pockets nearly eight years ago, he knew he was special. Jean- Luc remembered it like it was yesterday. He had been so angry at the time. This little four year old boy thought that he could get away with taking from his pockets. He had been ready to kill the kid himself at the time, but he saw something change in Remy's eyes. Instead of staying their regular brown color, Remy's eyes seemed to have changed and became darker, all of a sudden he had blood red pupils. Jean- Luc saw a power in there; a power that he knew he had to have for himself and so, he adopted the boy as his own son. Jean- Luc was never able to explain it when someone asked why he did what he did, and he never saw that power in Remy's eyes again, but it doesn't matter. He knew what he saw and now it was too late; he had put too much time, effort and money into training Remy. He would be damned before he let all this careful planning go completely to waste. Besides, there were some associates, that had shown interest in Remy.

Jean- Luc took another sip of his wine and continued to think. That boy has already started proving himself to be a problem. He'll learn that lesson soon enough in that basement. The man nodded to himself, satisfied that the situation had been properly handled. As he was about to take a sip of his wine, one of his men barged into his office. "What de hell is de meanin of dis?"

"Suh," one of his subordinates said. "Dere's someone who's attackin. We need ta get outta here."

"Wah?" Jean- Luc asked angrily. "Who dares to attack de Dieve's Guild? We ain't runnin', we gonna deal with dem."

"But suh," the first subordinate said. "Dese people ain't attackin like normal. Dey ain't usin weapons like guns or knives."

"Den what de hell is de problem?" Jean- Luc growled. "Just kill dem, like I pay you to do!"

"Boss," one of the men stuttered. "Dey ain't attackin with weapons I ain't never seen. One of dem looked like a diable with her blue, scaly skin. We need to get you outta here boss."

'Diable? What de hell are they smoking'?' Jean-Luc was beyond pissed. Who de hell dared to attack him in his home? Whoever it was would have to be dealt with. "Fine," he growled. "We're gonna deal with dem now. If you see anyone who don't work for me, kill dem on site! I don't give a damn, just do it." The men, startled by the reaction of their leader, quickly left to follow the order without question. Whoever these people were, they would regret the day they came across Jean-Luc LeBeau.

Erik rushed into the mansion with his comrades. The sun was set, dusk had settled. They had the element of surprise and now it was time to use it to their advantage. One of the thugs had attempted to shoot him with a handgun. Erik took great pleasure in turning their own weapons against them, in wrapping the cold, metal gates around them. He felt nothing when they yelped in pain or begged for mercy when they were caught. People who hurt and abuse children should get exactly what they deserve. Had it been up to him they would have probably been killed on site.

But it wasn't up to him. Although Charles hadn't really addressed it directly, Erik just knew he would not approve of the killing. If it could be avoided, then it should be avoided. Charles wouldn't want anyone's death on his conscience. Instead, Erik hit the would-be attacker with the butt of the gun. This wasn't what he was here for. 'Where is he Charles?'

Erik waited for the voice to answer. A red beam, obviously Alex, obliterated the doors that kept them from getting inside the estate. As if they were capable of keeping someone like Havok out if he really wanted to get in.

'Remy is inside of the basement Erik.'

Basement? Where? In a building this size, a basement will take too much time to find. Before Erik even began to communicate this with Charles, an image was implanted into his skull. A dark, dank basement with Remy hanging, his toes barely touching the ground. The poor boy's wrists were tied with chains hanging from the ceiling. Erik furiously watched as a grown man held a whip, beating the boy on his naked back. 'They all deserve to pay for this...'

'Now is not the time for that Erik! Remy needs help right now!' Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. Erik turned, readying himself to attack the fool who had grabbed him, but stopped at soon as he saw the person he knew he was in no danger. It still shocked him to see him like this.

Charles was standing right behind him, he looked like he had before Cuba. If Erik didn't know better, he would have thought that the event on that beach never really happened. But he knew better than that. The person standing in front of him was just an illusion; an image created by Charles' powerful mind. "Beast, please take care of these men. Erik and I will be going in another direction.

The blue furry mutant threw himself at the men who were attacking. "That's not a problem professor."

Satisfied that Beast and the rest of their comrades had everything under control, Charles and Erik ran to rescue the little boy in the basement.

The crack of a whip came slamming down on his back. Remy continued to scream. He was in so much pain. Where was Charles? Charles was supposed to make the pain stop. He just wanted the pain to stop. 'Please make de pain stop! Why isn't Charles here yet?'

'Because he was nev'r real,' answered a darker part of Remy's mind. 'He was just a voice dat you imagined. He was nev'r real.'

'No... Charles said dat he was like me...'

'Charles lied. Ya lied t' ya'self so ya wouldn't be de only freak.' Remy never got the chance to answer because the whip hit him so hard he lost his thought. By the time the last burn from the whip made it on his back, Remu was turned into a red, snotty, crying mess. Remu closed his eyes. His pain was so real.

'Remy stay with me...'

Remy opened his brown eyes. 'Charles...?'

'Yes. I promised that you are not alone. We're coming. We will be there soon, please stay strong.'

'Tank God...' Remy never took thought he believed a god until that very moment. Charles had to be a guardian angel. God was the only way to explain how Charles came to save him just as he was in harm's way. The whip came to bite him on the back again. Remy yelled in agony. The man who was whipping him began to laugh maniacally. Words seemed to be coming from his mouth, but Remy was in too much pain to be able to hear them; Remy didn't even hear them when they started screaming in pain.

'That is exactly what they deserve,' Erik thought. Charles said nothing about the thought, silently agreeing with him. It wasn't as if Erik had killed them or anything. Let them live in pain for now. Erik immediately noticed the young boy in the middle of the room, his arms tied to chains over his head. His clothes were rags that were barely covering his body. His back was the worst site to take in. His back was basically one, big, bloody wound that was dripping to floor. Just looking made Erik want to go back over there and kill those pathetic men. How dare they laugh at this boy's pain.

'Erik,' Charles said to him. 'Please calm your mind. I know it is difficult, but you must leave those men be. Right now you need to only focus on getting Remy safely onto the jet.'

Erik took a breath. Charles was right, Remy was the only being of importance right now. With a flick of Erik's wrist, the chains around Remy untangled from the boy's wrist. The boy fell into Erik's waiting hands. Both Erik and Charles walked out of the room as quickly as possible.

Jean- Luc couldn't believe what the hell was happening. These freaks... these diable... are making a mockery of his men. They all came out of nowhere. No matter what someone seems to be doing, it doesn't seem to be working. As much as he hated to do so, Jean- Luc knew that he needed to retreat and just go to the second location that the Thieves' Guild had set up. The man sighed. No one was going to like this... but maybe if he brought the boy, he could probably salvage the situation. It wouldn't be a complete loss.

Jean- Luc signalled to his men that were closest to him to get Remy before he ran out of the building. Once he was outside, he walked briskly towards the helicopter. Jean- Luc opened the passenger side door. Just when he was about to get into the helicopter, he saw at two men in blue and yellow suits come out of the house. Jean- Luc had to do a double take when he saw that one of them was carrying Remy. Jean- Luc growled, 'Ova my dead body are dey takin' him!' Jean- Luc took his gun out of his holster and cocked it. With a yell, he ran over to the men with his gun out. "Let go of de boy!" Jean-Luc yelled.

The men and Remy turned towards Jean- Luc. The leader of the Thieves Guild noted, with great satisfaction, that Remy gasped fearfully, especially when he saw the gun that was aimed in his general direction. On the other hand, the man holding Remy gave him as much attention as one would give to an annoying fly, while the other man just continued to walk into the aircraft. Jean- Luc was beyond angry; these stupid men acted like they didn't notice the gun he was holding. Did they not know who he was? Or did they just want to die? "De boy is not goin' anywhere," Jean- Luc growled.

The man holding Remy smiled sardonically. "Is that so?" Jean- Luc watched when the man laid the injured boy to the ground. Jean- Luc would have felt that he had won, except that even with a gun aimed at him, the other man acted like he was the one in control of the situation.

"Damn righ it is!" Jean- Luc answered, cocked, his index finger ready to pull that trigger. The man laughed. Jean- Luc was aggravated by the stranger's attitude. He growled and decided that it was time to send this devil on his way to hell. Jean- Luc pulled the trigger and released the bullet.

The man smirked maliciously, then a strange hand movement. The bullet suddenly stopped in midair almost like magic. Jean- Luc watched with horror filled fascinations the bullet altered its path and made its way towards HIM. Jean- Luc began to fear for his life; there was no way he could outrun the bullet, so he closed his eyes.

Erik watched the man who tried to shoot him began to cower as the bullet turned on him. The metal- kinetic couldn't help but think that the man standing in front of him was a pathetic human being. He was the one who kidnapped and abused Remy, and now the man feared for his own life. Where the hell was all of this feeling for that poor boy? The man truly was a pathetic waste of space whose existence should be extinguished.

'Erik no!' Charles yelled in his mind. 'I know it is hard but don't kill him, you promised.'

Erik remembered the promise. It was a promise that he made to Charles after Raven and he decided to leave the Brotherhood and come back home. It was the only reason that Erik wasn't going to kill the piece of filth. Erik used his power to move the bullet. The man yelled when the bullet his his arm. Erik paid him no mind, he just picked Remy off of the ground and walked into the X-Jet.

Jean- Luc cried out in pain. The bullet had hit him in the arm. He was relieved that it was only a flesh wound; Jean- Luc knew that the man was responsible for this and that he was lucky to still be alive. But he also knew that that if he didn't get Remy back, that his luck would definitely run out. The people he answered to wanted the boy and made it very clear that they were not happy that he lost the boy the last time. He knew he was already walking a very thin line with them.

For that reason, Jean- Luc picked up his gun with his uninjured hand. He jogged towards the jet the man disappeared into, aiming his gun inside the jet. Jean- Luc hoped that if he shot all of the bullets at random, he may be able to catch the man by surprise and grab Remy before he could do anything to him.

Before Jean- Luc could release a bullet, his world went completely back.

Charles smiled at Erik when he walked into the jet with Remy. He was proud of his friend. That man had been the one to orchestrate Remy's kidnapping and Erik didn't kill him in retaliation; Charles was really proud of him.

Remy looked at the wheelchair bound professor in the wonder. "Charles?" the boy asked hesitantly. Remy had seen Charles when he was in the basement, but he had been barely conscious at the time. He had seemed like a dream.

Charles smiled sadly. After everything Remy had went through, not just today, but all those years- on and off- with the Thieves Guild, of course he needed some reassurance. "Yes Remy," he said. "I'm here."

With that, Remy seemed to have gained his strength back. The boy jumped out of Erik's arms and ran buried himself right into Charles' waiting arms. Charles and Erik shared a look over Remy's head.

'Thank you,' Charles said. Erik seemed to understand what Charles meant and shrugged.

'It was nothing,'Erik answered.

'It was something to me,' Charles countered. A comfortable silence came between them. It was a moment before anyone said anything else.

'You should probably call the others back,' Erik pointed out. 'We got what we come for after all.'

Charles nodded. They had saved Remy and almost all of the Thieves' Guild had run away. There was no reason to remain in this place. Charles managed to turn his wheelchair around and deposit Remy into one of the seats. It seems the boy had fallen asleep at some point. The poor boy needed all the rest he could get.

Charles was about to telepathically call the others back when he paused. Erik tensed, sensing something with his own powers.

The cocking of a gun.

The man who had tried to attack from outside was staring into the jet, pointing a gun at Erik's back. 'Erik behind you!' Charles projected.

Before the man could pull the trigger, Charles attacked his mind. The gunman yelled in agony.

As soon as Charles used his powers, knowledge filled him. The man's name was Jean- Luc, he was the leader of the Thieves' Guild; a secret organization of thieves that has been around for hundreds of years. Jean- Luc was Remy's abusive adopted father.

Then the images came. At first the images were of Remy- of the first time they had met, during the training Remy received when he was apart of the Guild, to the moment Remy ran away. All of the abuse that Remy went through made Charles' blood boil with anger. But there was more.

Other images… a strange, dark place. A tunnel maybe. Seven people, sitting behind a semi- round table.

"Jean- Luc," called the man in the center. From the way the others deferred to him, it was very obvious that he was the one in charge. "You really put us in a bind."

"Bind is putting it lightly." The man who spoke was a bald, African- American looking man in his mid to late forties.

"You lost the boy!" The voice gave Charles a great start- could that have truly been a child?

"Yea," said a female's southern drawl. "You really fucked that up."

"No pleas'," Jean- Luc begged desperately. "I'll fix dis."

A female, one different from the one who spoke earlier, laughed mockingly. Charles felt a shiver run down his spine. "Fix this? The boy managed to escape your custody. How can you possibly fix this?"

The leader growled angrily. Charles watched as his canines, elongated; went from being quite beast- like. "That boy has a power that needs to be controlled! You better find him! Your life depends on it," he growled.

The other people sitting at the table growled as well. One by one, their teeth became longer and sharper. These normal looking, almost nondescript people, became the very things nightmares are made of.

After looking at this group of predators, Jean- Luc would do anything to avoid being the prey.

Charles quickly withdrew from Jean- Luc's ravaged mind. The leader of the Thieves' Guild fell unconscious. Charles took no notice of the crumpled figure- or anything at all really. Erik had no idea what to make of the other man's change of demeanor.

"Charles?"

"We need to get out of here." Charles used his telepathy to summon the X- men back into the jet.

Erik threw Jean- Luc outside of the aircraft. "What's wrong?"

Charles made sure Remy was buckled into a seat. "I fear that this is much more complicated than we had originally thought." Before he could explain more, Alex, Hank, Raven and Sean entered the jet. Everyone strapped themselves to their seats.

As Hank started the engines Erik began to feel a familiar pressure on his head.

'I promise to explain when we're safely back home my friend.'

Erik mentally growled. 'You had better Lab Rat.' Erik relaxed in his seat. Now that he knew that Charles would eventually tell him what had the telepath so spooked.

As the jet left the area, Charles couldn't help but look back, knowing in his heart that something terrible was about to happen.

A fleet of dark, sleek cars drove onto Jean- Luc's property. The cars parked just inside of the gate. The passengers got out and waited. After a few moments, they realized that the owner of the house was not coming to meet them.

"How much do ya wanna bet that the human fucked up again?" A female southern drawled. A middle-aged woman with short, red hair.

"He better not have," A young boy physically under the age of ten years whispered. "Roman looks murderous tonight."

The leader of this group, Roman, a middle- aged white man growled. An attractive woman who looked to be in her late twenties early thirties placed a hand on Roman's shoulder. She had long, brown curls pinned on her head and blood red lips.

Roman rushed into the mansion at an unbelievable pace, shirking off the hand on his shoulder. The entourage, including the woman, can into the house. After searching the house for any of the occupants, and finding no one. the ten people ran into the backyard.

The beings noticed that some of the guards were unconscious. Soon they manage to find their host, they owner of the house.

Roman nudged Jean- Luc with the tip of his shoe. The man on the ground began the regain consciousness. It took a few moments for Jean- Luc to become aware of his surroundings. "Hello, Jean- Luc."

Jean- Luc practically jumped off the ground he had been laying on. 'No,' he thought in dread. 'Dey're here.' and Jean- Luc took a good look, painfully aware that he didn't have what his associates wanted.

Roman took an over-dramatized look at the backyard. "Funny," he said in a dangerously low voice, "I don't see the boy out here. Perhaps he's inside the house? What do you think Salome?"

The woman with brown curls focused her cold glance on Jean- Luc. "I think the boy better be for Jean- Luc's sake."

The aforementioned man began to sweat profusely. "Please…"

"I believe that means that he failed again." A young woman with shoulder-length, brown hair and blue eyes linked arms with Salome.

"I do believe you're right Nora," A dark-skinned man remarked.

"I thought that you said you had the boy when you called earlier Jean- Luc." Roman circled around the human.

"I- I did," Jean- Luc whispered, "but I can explain. Remy was taken, de people… de were like de boy. I-"

"What?" Roman yelled. The others became more alert, more serious. Roman grabbed Jean- Luc by the front of his shirt and looked into his eyes. "Tell me exactly what happened here tonight."

Jean- Luc became quite calm. All his fears seemed to dissolve into thin air. Funny how he remembered being so afraid before…

He told them what they wanted to know; about the freaks that broke into his house, about their abilities. He even described the jet that he had seen them go into with Remy. He told them what happened when he confronted the people in the jet; about how he looked at the man in the wheelchair caused him pain on his head before falling unconscious.

This last tidbit of information gave Roman great pause. That reminded him of something a glamor might do. He could already hear the others whispering among themselves. "Did he ask you anything?"

Jean- Luc's face was completely blank. "No."

Did he say anything at all to you?"

"Nothin."

"What could this mean?" Asked a tall, older man, probably in his early sixties, with short gray-streaked, brown hair.

"What it means Dieter," the woman with red hair stated, "is that the little cripple may just be a mind reader."

"A telepath," Nora supplied.

"Which means that he might know about us!" The child yelled angrily.

A heavy silence fell over the group. If there was a chance they knew about them then their element of surprise was gone.

"This may not be completely damning," the dark skinned man stated.

"How the hell do you figure Kibwe?" the red headed woman hissed venomously.

"Because Roselyn" Kibwe pointed out in a calm tone, "even if one of them is a telepath, they still don't know that we've been watching them because Jean- Luc didn't know that."

"But they could know that we were after the boy," the youngest looking one pointed out. "Wouldn't they suspect that we'll come after them to retrieve him at least?"

"Not necessarily Alexander," Kibwe said. "They may have a false sense of security. After all, Jean- Luc doesn't know who they are or where they come from. They have no reason to think we'll be able to find them."

Roman nodded in thought. Kibwe was right. There is still a way to salvage this situation. But first, it was time to take care of a loose end. Roman glared into the dazed eyes of Jean- Luc. The glamour began to wear off.

Jean- Luc became more aware of the danger that surrounded him. Fangs became elongated. Jean- Luc took one step back before Roman was upon him. Jean- Luc didn't have time to scream before Roman ripped his head from the rest of his body. Blood gushed all over Roman's impeccable suit as the last of the light in Jean- Luc's eyes faded completely. The headless body fell on the ground and Roman threw the head in disgust.

"Start cleaning up the rest of the mess," Roman ordered. The others went after the sleeping security staff. An orchestra of screams and blood splatter could be heard. "Northman! Godric!" Two blurs rushed over to him.

"Yes, Guardian?" Godric asked. He was a shorter male, with short brown hair and blue eyes. One could mistake him for a teenager.

"The time for observing is over." Roman retracted his fangs. "You will confront them. Bring at least one of them to use so that we may interrogate. I say at least one. I would prefer if all of them were brought in alive for questioning, but I understand that sometimes things happen."

Both of the people he was addressing stayed respectfully silent.

"You will take a small squad of no more than ten. Watch them until you have the perfect opportunity, then strike. I expect this done within the next month. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Guardian." Eric Northman was a man who looked to be about thirty years old. He was over six feet tall, had blond hair and cold blue eye that gleamed with anticipation. Finally, these mutants were going to be dealt with.

"Good." Roman turned away from them and watched. as his comrades continued with their carnage and bloodshed. Screams continued to be heard into the night.

3 DAYS LATER…

"Sookie and Tara!" Adele Stackhouse yelled up the stairs. She had just finished cooking and Jason was currently eating in the kitchen.

The two girls mentioned were in Sookie's bedroom, packing the last of their things in suitcases. After Tara's lunch with Charles and Erik, she ran over to Sookie's and told them everything. Adele had been understandably shocked. After all, Tara has been like another granddaughter to her, and she had no idea that she had a power as well, but looking back , it explained a lot. Tara had always been so understanding of Sookie's abilities. The revelation helped the Stackhouse matriarch make a decision about sending Sookie to that school. Those young men seemed very nice and Sookie would have a friend going with her.

"We're done, Gran!" Sookie and Tara came down the stairs with the suitcases and into the kitchen. Adele looked at the nearest clock. It was now 9:50. Charles and Erik agreed to pick the girls up at 10:30. "Are you sure you have everything?"

Both girls nodded.

"Now Tara," Adele asked. "You still haven't heard anything from your mother?" After meeting the two men, Tara when home, expecting to find her mother passed out on the couch. She was surprised to see that the woman hadn't been there. Tara waited until very late in the night, but her mother didn't come home. Tara called Adele, the older woman picked her up and let her stay in the Stackhouse home. And three days later, still no sign of her mother.

Tara sadly shook her head. "No ma'am." Tara slowly went back to her breakfast. Sensing the awkward mood in the kitchen, Sookie started talking about how fun it was going to be and wondered what the other kids were going to be like Tara and Jason both joined the conversation. Adele was so busy listening to the children, she physically jumped out of her seat. It was 10:30 already? Adele walked over to the front door and opened it.

As expected, Erik and Charles were on the other side of the barrier, but with them stood five others, the youngest was a boy with shoulder length, brown hair. He looked to be around the same age as the other children.

The children rushed out of the kitchen to greet them. "Hi."

Charles smiled. "Well hello, everyone. It's nice to see you all again."

"Why does he look like that?" Tara asked, pointing at Hank.

"Tara!" Adele scolded, scandalized.

"It's quite alright," Hank said, waving off the concern. He held out a furry hand. "Hank McCoy."

Adele and the children shook his hand.

"And to answer your question." Hank focused his yellow eyes on Tara. "Mine is a more physical mutation." Tara just shrugged.

"Hank is actually one of the instructors."

"Oh really?" Adele asked. Everyone came deeper inside the house and gathered around in the living room. "What subject do you teach?"

"I teach both biology and mathematics." Adele was happy to learn more about the place.

"These strapping young men are Alex and Sean. "Erik pointed at both boys respectively.

"Are they instructors as well?" Adele asked.

"No," Charles explained. "They're some of our older students."

"Older students? How exactly are the class sizes?" Adele asked.

"Well the classes are separated from the younger children and the teens. Alex, Sean and my younger sister Raven-" Raven, in her blond hair and blue eyed guise waved- "are part of the second group. As of right now, Sookie and Tara are the youngest children in the first group. There is a nine year old boy named Jack who will also be part of the first group. The oldest girl in the group is a ten year old named Primrose. The oldest boy will be ten year old Remy over here."

Hearing his name, Remy looked up at everyone.

Sookie smiled. "Hi. My name is Sookie. That's my gran, my older brother Jason and my friend Tara." Sookie said, pointing to them.

Remy blushed. "Hi."

"Well hello," Adele greeted warmly. Jason and Tara just waved.

"Alex and Sean can help you with your suitcases ladies." Charles suggested. Adele nodded. Sookie and Tara led the two older boys to the kitchen. It wasn't too long before they came back with the luggage. After some heartfelt goodbyes were exchanged, Sookie and Tara left the house with the X- men. They went around the house to the woods. Each step took them farther and farther away from Bon Temps.

"It's right here," Hank said. Everyone stopped walked.

"What's right here?" Sookie asked, exchanging a look with Tara. The other girl looked just as confused. No one said anything. Hank pulled a remote out of his pocket and pressed a button. The X- jet appeared, seemingly out of thin air.

"Woah," Both girls said in awe.

"Just wait until you actually get inside," Raven said with a smile. Everyone got in the jet. Sookie and Tara sat with Remy. Raven helped them all with their seat belts.

"Are we all ready to go back there?" Erik asked.

Raven settled herself in the seat next to Tara. Ready."

Then I believe that it's time to go home," Charles stated. "Isn't that right Hank?"

"Yes, it is Professor." Hank turned on the engine. He flew it into the sky.

In their underground headquarters, the authority of the seven sitting at the semi- circular table was well known.

"Now what is on the agenda?" The Guardian, Roman asked.

"I have just gotten some… interesting information from our other contacts in Louisiana," Salome began.

"Oh?"

"It seems that the boy, Remy is not the only child that has disappeared. Seems a…," Salome pulled out two school photos, "Sookie Stackhouse and a Tara Thorton are also unaccounted for." Everyone sitting at the table looked at the pictures.

"Is there any reason to believe that those people had anything to do with their disappearance?" Dieter asked.

"In the Thorton girl's case, it seems unlikely," Salome admitted, "her mother is also missing as well, but our contact does say that three days ago, she was seen with Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr at a local establishment, sharing a meal."

Now in the other child's case," Salome continued. "Both Xavier and Lensherr visited her house, also three days ago. Now she's absent and her family doesn't seem the least bit concerned. Also, she has been alienated by the townspeople because of some 'disability'. I have reason to believe that this 'disability' is actually her mutant ability. Both girls have only been missing for five hours, but I have word that Xavier and his little gang has already left the state."

The members of the Authority silently absorbed this information. This had to be dealt with. Their authority seemed to be in questioned, all because of these humans that seemed to come out of thin air.

"On that note," Kibwe began, "more mutants are being identified all over the globe."

"Russell Edgington has managed to collect some mutants. He plans on making them participate in a competition. It will be interesting to study their abilities," Alexander pointed out.

Roman nodded. "When will everything be ready?"

"All within the month."

"Also," Rosalyn smirked. "Nan Flanigan managed to come through with collecting a mutant we can observe."

Roman smirked. "Excellent." Roman clapped his hands. "Buzz her in then."

Roselyn did exactly as commanded. As the doors opened, two figures entered. One seemed to be a woman in her forties, with short, blond hair that was slicked back. The woman was wearing a blue silk, button-down shirt, a black pencil skirt. Her high heels clicked on the marble floors. She stopped in front of the table, tugging the least so hard, she made the person behind her stumbled.

"Very good job Nan," Roman gave the woman a sharp smile. "Efficient as always."

Nan Flanigan smirked. "I always aim to please." She turned to the small boy behind her. He had brown hair, his eyes were covered by a dirty rag tied around his head. His clothing was old and dirty. Around his neck laid a dark collar, which was connected to the leash in Nan's manicured hand. "Apparently this one was in some foster home in Chicago. All I did was give foster daddy a few hundred bucks and he gave me the kid."

" Just goes to show you; money will buy you anything," Nora said, checking her nails with a bored countenance.

"True." Nan smirk grew larger. "I also found out some information about the prisoner that I think you'll find interesting."

Roman was intrigued. "Oh?"