Chapter 18:

Third Person:

Patience is a virtue, Gear recited in her head. She was currently leaned over the blood samples she got from Danny. A mere three weeks after she got the samples and she was still experimenting (and occasionally getting more samples). By now, she had a whole drawer of Danny's blood kept in a freezer. Her goggles were on her eyes as she heated up some of the blood on one panel, then taking the goggles off to add pure ectoplasm from a syringe to another panel of blood.

Danielle, however, was also practicing in the lab- when she got bored of practicing, she was tapping on Gear's shoulder like she was now.

"Gear, Gear, Gear…"

Patience is a virtue, Gear continued to repeat, patience is a virtue… Oh fuck it.

"What," Gear gritted out.

Dani gave a curious grin,

"Whatcha workin' on?"

Gear sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She turned to face the young halfa and wondered to really tell her what she was doing or not. She turned to the blood samples and motioned for Danielle to come closer. How to explain this where she understands? I don't want to totally confuse her with 'geek-speak.' She pointed to the sample of Danny's blood that was warming up,

"I'm testing to see how different things cause Danny's blood react because then, in theory, it would affect Danny as well."

Dani scratched at her head, her confusion obvious. Gear sighed. She pointed to the sample that seemed to be glowing,

"That sample had pure ectoplasm added to it. See how it's glowing brighter? That's because it's stronger."

She picked up a syringe that was filled with the glowing syringe and was careful to not squirt it. Danielle looked at the liquid- but it was much thicker than blood.

"It's pure ectoplasm. If this was in Danny's system, then in theory, it would make his ectoplasmic blood stronger and therefore, it would make him stronger."

Dani nodded with wide eyes, multiple different things going through her head, but her thoughts were crushed as Gear set the syringe down and gave Dani a hard look. Her eyes were dark and serious,

"Danielle, listen to me and listen to me good- do not use it. Don't you dare even think about making yourself more powerful for it."

"How come Danny gets all the power," Dani huffed.

Gear glared and Dani gulped, never had she seen Gear as serious as she was now.

"Little D, you're a little sis, ya know that? I would never tell you to not do something unless I had a legit reason. Hell, you can even be a hooker, a stripper, or shit and even though I won't be happy I won't tell you not to do it if you were happy long as you weren't mixing alcohol and drugs. But this pure ectoplasm does not mix with your blood- no, it overpowers it, separates your ectoplasm from your blood. Dani, if you took this, then you would be- poof. Gone. Most likely from exploding or from pain alone."

Dani gulped as she nodded. Gear gave a firm nod and then turned back to her work- a tense silence in the air. After a second, Gear took off her goggles and turned to Dani,

"Seriously though, don't be a stripper or a hooker- the pay's not as good as you think and trust me, I know."

Danny smiled to himself. He was officially 'in.' Jean wasn't suspicious of him. The teachers at the Institute didn't treat him any different because of his powers. Professor X didn't seem as weary. He was normal, for lack of a better term. At first, learning of the Brotherhood made him weary of the school, but it didn't take long for him to realize that the Brotherhood and the Institute were two, very different things- just as Professor X and Magneto had two very different dreams. If Gear had sent him to the Brotherhood under the suspicion that they may be bad, she'd be right, but with the Insitute- she as wrong. It was good- the people, the teachers, the peers, everything was good.

For that reason, he was smiling. He felt a bit free- he could be himself and not hide his powers, well he hid some of them. Still, at the Institute he didn't have to hide as nearly as much as he'd have to hide otherwise. Of course, he did have to hide that he was still, technically, a spy for Gear since he reported everything to her- everything from who was dating who to the way the Danger Room worked.

"Honestly Gear," Danny said as he rubbed his temples, "Your stubbornness is giving me a headache. Will you just admit that you were wrong? This is not a bad place."

"I get that dude, honestly… I'm just cautious ya know? So all I am saying is be careful."

"I know," Danny repeated for the tenth time in that conversation, "For the last time- I know!"

"Dude, I'm not saying it because it's a bad place that's not what you're getting. I'm saying it cause you still have a cover to maintain. You are a ghost, dude. Don't want them to know, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Danny sighed, "How's Dani?"

"She's good. Better. Still a bit hurt you didn't remember but that's not your fault. She's… Also pocking my side wanting to talk to you."

There was a muffled noise before Dani's voice came on,

"Danny!"

"Hi Danielle," Danny greeted.

"It's Dani with an 'i'. Geesh. Why do you and Gear have such trouble remembering my name? You always say Danielle. She always calls me Little D because I'm small… How's the whole mutant thing going?"

"It's good. I mean, it's a bit rough. Training with Logan is hard as heck."

"How hard?"

"Ummm imagine Gear actually making a course and deeming it 'worthy' of us to practice with."

"That's actually pretty hard…Woah and you still think you're okay?"

Danny laughed,

"Yeah I know right! I better get going- Bye Dani."

"See ya."

She hung up as Danny smirked,

Funny, he thought, Here I thought being a spy would be harder.

It was at that moment, however, that his thought was heard.