Hello again to all my friends. I don't own X-men, but regardless the original characters that I'll be using in here do belong to me.

To Firewhisperer: lol, yeah, should of probably added some sort of reaction to that fun little bit shouldn't of I? Maybe he just wasn't paying attention and didn't noticed the whole 'shadow-jumped-off-ground-and-ate-fire' bit .

To ThatOneKid: Thank you so much for the compliments, I have a thing for making my characters believable, if I don't think they'd stand up against a small gust of wind I have to fix them.

Chapter 15

Rune asked her not to mention it to Storm as they approached the manor. After a moment she agreed. The gate opened as someone headed out, on foot. It was Hart.

"Hey, I was just coming to find you guys. Storm asked me to." He looked them over, "What happened?"

"Nothing." Rune replied and shouldered past the empath.

Hart grabbed his arm, "You know you can't lie to me Rune, I see right though them," He looked at Naomi, her energy was a disruptive mess, "Even if you don't show it she does."

Rune sighed, "You really are an intrusive guy." He put his elbow on Hart's shoulder, "I'll tell you tonight after lights out, alright?" He looked over his shoulder at Naomi, "Would you mind watching her for a while, I'm heading back out."

Naomi frowned, "I'm not a lost puppy that needs watching." She stormed past the boys and into the house.

Hart watched her go, "Watch what? Her angry energy fluctuate with disinterest and annoyance?" He glanced at Rune, his energy was also annoyance, but underneath it Hart sensed a bit of intrigue and interest. "Oh no you don't, you remember the last girl you followed around? You went right into that shadow brotherhood after her."

Rune rolled his eyes, "Please, I just think that if you caught on that something was bothering her than anyone could."

"Rune, I have something I need to tell you." He put a hand on each of the other boys shoulders, "I'm an empath, I can read other peoples emotions."

The other hit Hart in the side, Hart feigned pain and stumbled away. "I have another secret for you, you're a bad actor." At that Rune turned back toward the city.

"I have another one, you are the leech when it comes to friendship!" Hart yelled after him. Then turned up the drive and headed back to the house.

Naomi began to wander around the house, she heard soft music floating from somewhere in the back classrooms. She walked as silently as she could manage down the hall and peered into each of the room until she found the source of the sound. Flicker was sitting at a piano, the rest of the room was empty. Slowly she tried the doorknob and found it locked. The music suddenly cut out mid-cord.

The girl looked up and the figure at the piano was gone, another door across the room was swinging on its hinges. Naomi blinked.

"Flicker's a little shy when it comes to girls." She jumped slightly then looked up at Hart who was looking into the window in the door over her head, "I'm surprised he actually managed to say a few words to you this morning." He looked down at her and smiled.

Naomi frowned, "I don't need to be looked after." She started to walk away. She heard the door click open she turned to see Hart walking into the room. She blinked, positive that it had been locked moments before. Naomi walked in after him, he was sitting at the piano now.

He picked out a few random cords, "Piano never was my thing, had a year of lessons on my mom's behest, but," he shook his head, "Never really enjoyed it." He glanced up at her from the corner of his eye, "So, what happened?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, "Why should I tell you?"

"Cause something about it is bugging you." He stated simply, "I'm just a concerned friend, that's all."

After a moment of thinking about it she sat down next to him on the piano bench. "Someone threw fire at me."

"Are you alright?" He asked calmly.

"Yeah... my shadow kind of jumped up and swallowed it." Naomi said.

His fingers paused on the keys letting a cord linger in the air. "Really?" She nodded, his fingers moved again. "Interesting, sounds like a defense mechanism. Ever had it do that before?"

She thought about this, there were a few times when her father had gone to hit her and it never had made contact. But she shook her head. "So, if I'm in danger my shadow will try and protect me?"

Hart shrugged, "Its possible."

"Where do you think Rune went?"

Hart's fingers stumbled making a dissonant cord, "Do yourself a favor and don't worry about him for one, and another thing, try not to get too close." He switched the side that his legs were on, "Rune is... like a mirage. You think you know whats there, but underneath that image there's something else entirely." With that he got up and headed to the door, "Foods in the kitchen, as always. Someone bought chinese take-out, there's still a few containers of rice and other stuff if you want it."

"Thanks." She said softly. He nodded then closed the door. Naomi waited a few minutes before leaving the room. Food, while it sounded appetizing, wasn't something she wanted at the moment. She walked down stairs into the basement.

Slowly walking through the white corridors she eventually found her way to the door of a certain room. She knocked on the door, it opened. She walked in and sat next to the still form of Emily.

"This is an interesting development." Emily's voice said. "A visitor."