The city was having a peaceful day, if you didn't count a couple of mutants rampaging through downtown. The ginormous mutant known as the Blob picked up a hot dog stand and held it in the air as he poured the contents into his mouth.

Pyro was setting things on fire as he created a bunch of fire eagles to cause even more damage. His partner, Avalanche, was causing many mini-earthquakes with his seismic waves.

As this was all happening, the Blackbird was flying towards the rogue mutants.

"Alright team, you ready?" Scott asked.

"I'm ready to pound these yahoos for making me come all the way out here to stop them." Rogue said as she cracked her knuckles. She had been cuddling with Danny on the couch, watching a movie, when they got an alert that something was causing trouble downtown. Couldn't the bad guys cause a ruckus when she wasn't spending some quality time with her phantom?

The Blackbird touched down as the X-Men got ready to fight.

"Hey, look! It's the X-geeks!" Avalanche pointed at the heroes.

"They seem a little chilly." Pyro observed. He aimed his flamethrower at them. "Let's warm them up."

He fired his flames, but they were extinguished by Danny's ice. Danny then froze his flamethrowers along with Avalanche's hands, preventing them from using their powers.

"You can't stop me!" Blob boasted. "The Blob is unmovable."

Danny smirked. "Not yet." He stomped on the ground, making it intangible, phasing Blob halfway through so his upper half was sticking out of the road.

"Now you're unmovable." Danny confirmed. "You can't even move yourself."

Rogue shook her head at the sight of the Brotherhood. "I can't believe I actually worked alongside these idiots."

Cyclops was happy that they were apprehended quickly, but his good mood was ruined when he saw the crowd start to boo them.

"Filthy mutants!"

"Get out of here!"

"Nobody wants you!"

Danny whistled. "Tough crowd."

"This is the thanks we get?" Rogue said bitterly.

Danny placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Rogue. When we get home, I'll give you my thanks for your efforts."

Rogue's bad mood instantly evaporated as she grabbed Danny and led him back to the Blackbird.

As the X-Men all returned to the Blackbird. Scott took one more look at the angry bystanders.

"Scott, are you okay?" Jean asked him.

"I don't know." He answered.

Scott was sitting in the War Room, lost in thought. He'd been doing some thinking, and he's been wondering if what he's doing is even worth it.

"Scott, you're still feeling down." Jean stated as she sat down next to him. "I feel much confusion from you."

"I've just been thinking, Jean." Scott replied. "We saved the galaxy, and yet we're still being hated by a good chunk of humanity. I feel like we're fighting a lost cause. To save a world full of prejudice. Where humans hate us. Is that it?"

Jean tried to convince Scott that what they were fighting for was worth it. "Hate and fear are what we're fighting to overcome; you know that."

"A lot of things I thought I knew aren't so clear to me anymore." Scott said as he thought about the fact that his father was still alive and out there in space.

"You are feeling doubt, Scott." Jean told him. "It's something we X-Men have all felt at some point in our time here. But in time, this feeling will fade."

"Hey, guys." Danny got their attention. "I hate to ruin your moment, but the computers have picked up a ghostly signature. I think we should check it out."

Scott looked at the area where the ecto-signature was found and recognized it.

"I know that place; I grew up there." He said. "At the local orphanage."

"Did you want to come?" Danny asked.

Scott nodded. Maybe visiting his old home might uplift his spirits.

Scott and Danny were sitting on a bus that was taking them to their destination.

"Remind me again, why we're taking the bus?" Danny asked.

"Because the Blackbird is undergoing maintenance along with the other jets." Scott explained as he looked down at his visor in his hand. The two were dressed casually, so Scott was wearing his glasses right now. The mutant examined his new visor. Danny and Beast had done some work on it, allowing him to switch it to a different mode.

Danny and Beast dubbed this new mode ecto mode, as it combined Scott's optic blast with ectoplasm, allowing him to shoot a green beam that could harm ghosts. Scott appreciated having this, as not only did it give him a means to combat any malevolent ghosts, but it also allowed him to experience the color green for the first time.

One of the downsides of his powers is that he only saw things in shades of red, so seeing something else was breathtaking for him.

"I'm surprised Rogue let you come out here." Scott muttered.

Danny chuckled in agreement. Even since the Phoenix incident, Rogue has been a bit protective of Danny, not wanting him to be harmed in any way. Luckily, he managed to convince her to let him go with a few words and a foot rub.

"Well, I can be very persuasive." Danny joked.

"Die, mutants!" A little kid cried as he fired a toy gun at them.

His mother scolded him. "Johnny, stop that. That's real impolite."

"But, mom." The kid whined. "I'm just playing good guys and mutants."

"Well, I'm sure those nice young men don't appreciate being called mutants." She reprimanded.

"Even children want us dead." Scott murmured.

"Come on, Scott." Danny tried to cheer him up. "Don't let some kid get you down. We do what we have to do because if we don't, then who will?"

Scott simply stared out the window for the rest of the ride.

At the McNeil orphanage, the caretaker, Sarah, was making some tea while listening to the news.

"Local philanthropist and real estate developer Zebediah Killgrave today donated a million dollars to our city's homeless." A female reporter said. "Governor Barkley, a long-time opponent of Killgrave, had this to say."

Governor Barkley appeared on the TV as he gave his opinion. "Killgrave's donations to charity are all transparent attempts to buy public opinion. So he can gain control of the Platte River project. Something he'll do over my dead body."

It then went back to the female reporter. "Control over the anticipated hydroelectric facility would arguably make Killgrave the most powerful man in the state."

Standing outside the orphanage were Danny and Scott.

"This is where I grew up." Scott said to Danny.

"No wonder you're so uptight." Danny said.

At Scott's look, Danny held his hands up. "It was a joke."

Scott remembered that this is where he first discovered his powers. He was playing with the other children when he fell to the ground because his head hurt. Then his eyes shot out an optic blast that hit a tricycle.

"I remember when my powers first came. It was here, and it was a very frightening time." Scott said as he got lost in his memories.

Danny felt bad for what he said. "Really, Scott. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you feel worse."

"It's alright, Danny." Scott said. "You didn't know. By the way, what was it like for you back at the orphanage?"

"I've never been to one." Danny admitted. "After the deaths of my friends and family, I stayed with Vlad for a bit, but I couldn't stay there because of..." He tried to come up with a good reason. "Personal reasons. Then Clockwork appeared and gave us the address and contact information of Steve and Martha. Vlad got into contact with them, and that's how I found myself living with them."

"Can I help you?" Sarah stood in the doorway, interrupting their private talk. "Are you here about an adoption?"

"Oh, no, we were just..." Scott stammered a bit. "I used to live here."

Sarah peered at him. "Scott..." Her voice became excited. "Summers?"

Scott was surprised that she knew his name. "Yes, but how did you..." He stopped as he finally recognized the woman. "Sarah?" Sarah was one of the few friends he had back at the orphanage.

Danny smiled. "Should Jean be worried?"

Sarah greeted her old friend. "It's so good to see you. It's been such a long time."

Scott introduced Danny. "Sarah, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Danny. Danny, this is Sarah, an old friend of mine from the orphanage."

Danny shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Sarah said. "Won't you two come in?"

The two were in the living room as Sarah explained what she had been doing since Scott left.

"So, after my husband died, I came back here as a volunteer. Now I run the place." She then looked at Scott with interest. "What about you, Scott? You never married?"

"No. Well, I did, but..." Scott remembered how Morph pretended to be the reverend, so they were technically not married. "It's complicated."

The TV continued playing the news as the female reporter continued.

"And to top off a week filled with charitable acts, Zebediah Killgrave pledged full college scholarships to ten more disadvantaged children."

Sarah poured the two men some tea as she talked about Zebediah Killgrave. "That is one of the finest men who ever lived. I could never have kept this place afloat if not for him. Not only has Mr. Killgrave given us money, but he adopted four of my special kids."

Scott frowned. "When you say special..."

"I mean mutants, Scott." Sarah clarified. "Nobody else wanted to adopt them."

A painful memory emerged in Scott's mind.

"We just feel Scott would be better off with another family." A woman said to the matron of the orphanage as she and her husband returned Scott. "He has..." She tried to think of the right words. "Such special needs." Her voice then became cold. "A child like that shouldn't be allowed near other children. You should have warned us he wasn't normal."

Tears were streaming down Scott's cheeks at the rejection.

Scott wiped a tear as they all heard the smoke alarm go off.

"Fire!" Sarah cried. "The children!" They all raced upstairs to get the kids.

"Quickly, children, downstairs!" Sarah ordered as the kids made their way out of the building.

Scott kicked open the door to where the fire was coming from. Danny used his ice powers to put it out. The two then went in to see if there was anyone trapped in there.

They saw a kid race by them.

"Hey you!" Scott called as he and Danny chased after him.

They rounded a corner and cut off his escape.

"I didn't mean to do it." The kid said. "It was an accident."

"What were you thinking? Playing with matches?" Scott chastised him. "People could have been hurt."

Sarah came up to them. "Let him go, Scott."

The arsonist ran into Sarah's arms as she hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Sarah." The kid apologized.

"Rusty is one of the special kids I told you about." Sarah explained. "He was adopted by Mr. Killgrave two days ago."

"Don't make me go back." Rusty pleaded with Sarah. "Please!"

"But Rusty, what's wrong?" Sarah asked as Rusty pulled away, and fire appeared in his hands.

"Can't anybody stop this?" Rusty said about his powers.

"Let us talk to him, Sarah." Scott said.

"We know you didn't mean to set that fire, Rusty." Scott said as he and Danny were talking to Rusty as they walked down the street. "You've got a mutant power. It takes time to learn how to use it."

"What are you, some kind of do-gooder social worker?" Rusty shot back, feeling angry with his lack of control.

"Social worker, no." Danny quipped. "Do-gooder, yes."

Scott looked around to make sure no one was watching as he pulled his glasses up to destroy an abandoned building with his optic blast.

Rusty was in awe of the display. "You're a mutant. Then you know what it's like."

"I also know what it's like growing up without a home, without parents." Scott replied with compassion. "You're fortunate that someone wants to give you all that. I couldn't have made it without help from friends that cared about me."

"Killgrave is bad news." Rusty said as they headed back to the orphanage. "I'm telling you, he's wacko."

"Maybe you just need to get used to him." Scott advised.

Danny, however, felt that maybe the kid wasn't lying. Maybe there was something going on with Killgrave. I mean, his name is Killgrave; that's already a red flag.

"But I heard him talking about how he's gonna use this big new project to run the governor out of office." Rusty protested. "And he's got a torture chamber in his basement."

Sarah came out. "What are you saying?" She turned to Scott and Danny. "Scott, Danny, you don't have to listen to this anymore." She gave Rusty a stern look. "Go inside, Rusty."

"Nobody ever believes me!" Rusty complained as he ran back up to his room.

Sarah shook her head. "After all Mr. Killgrave has done for you, you make up these lies?"

"Could there be any truth to what he's saying?" Scott questioned.

Danny felt his communicator ring. "It's the professor." Danny whispered to Scott. He then looked at Sarah. "Sorry, but could I use your bathroom?"

Sarah nodded. "Sure, down the hall."

"Thanks." Danny headed there to report back to the professor on their progress.

Sarah then returned to the topic of Rusty. "You don't know this kid, Scott. He's lied; he's stolen. He's been in trouble with the police."

As if on cue, police sirens blared as a patrol car pulled up alongside a limo. Out of the limo came the man who's been all the talk recently. Zebediah Killgrave.

"He's here, isn't he?" Zebediah said to himself.

Rusty came back as he begged Sarah not to let Killgrave take him back. "Please don't make me go back."

Sarah saw Zebediah walking up the stairs as she tried to explain the situation. "Rusty's having some problems adjusting, Mr. Killgrave. Maybe if he stayed here for a few days..."

Zebediah cut her off. "Now, Sarah, we've been through this before with other special children. We agreed that a clean break was best."

Sarah tried to explain further. "But I'm only taking about..."

"You know what I think of you and the wonderful work you do here." Zebediah said.

"You've been more than generous." Sarah agreed as Zebediah continued.

"It would be a shame if this little misunderstanding caused me to feel differently." He said subtly.

"Sir, the boy seems scared." Scott told him as he folded his arms. "Does he have any reason to be?"

Zebediah gave an innocent smile. "Why, no. Not having a father, he's just not used to the loving discipline a boy his age needs."

Sarah got Rusty out. "Rusty? You go back with Mr. Killgrave."

"My boy." Zebediah embraced him. "You had me so worried." They walked back to the limo as Scott watched them, feeling like something was fishy.

"After only two days, I already love you like a son." Zebediah said as they got into the vehicle.

They took off just as Danny came back.

"What did I miss?"

When Killgrave got back home with Rusty, he shoved him towards the basement door.

"Get back in the basement, you brat!" He ordered.

"No!" Rusty refused. "You can't make me!"

"Obey me!" Killgrave spoke in a deep voice as his eyes glowed.

"No..." Rusty was grabbed by the throat. "I..."

"You have no special purpose, Rusty." Killgrave said to him. "You are just an accident. No matter what you do to hide your powers, you will never find happiness. What parent would want to adopt someone like you?" He carried him down to the basement, which was filled with all kinds of technology.

He strapped Rusty into a chair as he continued berating the poor boy. "I'm sure the only useful thing you ever did was help your parents burn the house down with you in it so they could finally get rid of you."

He then turned to all the other children who were there. "All of you freaks." He looked at each and every one of the kids. He sneered at a boy in a wheelchair. "Taki."

He then addressed the other two kids. They were two blonde girls. "Skids and Boom Boom. All of you have no future in this world. No one loves you and never will. So shut up and quit your whining, as for once in your miserable existence you have use."

With his insults finished, he left the room as the lights turned off, leaving the frightened children alone in the dark.

They all screamed as red eyes peered out of the darkness at them.

Governor Barkley was finishing up some paperwork when someone walked into the room.

"Killgrave?" The governor asked.

"You know what I want, Governor." Killgrave stated as his eyes glowed. "A Platte River project. Obey me."

"Thanks for staying to help us out." Sarah said to the two men. "How was it sleeping on the couch?"

"It was alright." Danny said, wishing he could be back in bed with Rogue.

Sarah noticed that Scott was smiling. "That's the first time I've seen you smile. Who's Jean? You said her name in your sleep."

"Jean is someone very special to me." Scott said without any hesitation. "I love her." Thinking of Jean reminded the X-Man about his team and their mission, which is why they were here.

Scott decided it was time to get a move on. "Look, you've been really kind to us, Sarah, but we should go."

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a News Nine Special Report." The TV stated as it interrupted the children's cartoon, much to their disappointment.

"Oh no." They whined.

"Governor Barkley has announced he's resigning from office, citing health problems as the cause." The reporter stated.

Danny and Scott were curious as they listened to the report. "This will likely bode well for Zebediah Killgrave, since the governor has led the opposition to Killgrave's bid to control the multi-dollar hydroelectrical facility."

"That doesn't seem suspicious at all." Danny said sarcastically. It reminded him of how Vlad used his powers to build his fortune. He snapped his head toward Scott. "You don't think that Killgrave may be a ghost, do you?"

"There's only one way." Scott said. "Maybe Rusty was right." He turned to Sarah. "We've got to get the kids."

Sarah pulled up to Killgrave's house with Danny and Scott. "That's Killgrave's house. I still can't believe that a man like him could be involved in anything criminal."

"You may be right, Sarah, but we can't take the chance." Scott said.

The car stopped in front of the mansion as they got out.

"Wait here." Scott said to Sarah. "It may not be safe."

"But if the kids are in danger..." Sarah tried to argue before Scott cut her off.

"Wait here." He said. "I want to see Killgrave."

Scott pounded on the door before a servant opened it.

"We want to see Killgrave." Scott demanded.

"It's alright, Wayne." Killgrave said as he appeared. He smiled at Scott. "You're Sarah's friend, Scott Summers."

Danny's ghost sense went off as he narrowed his eyes.

Killgrave looked at Danny with curiosity. "And who might you be?"

"Danny Fenton." Danny replied.

Killgrave's eyes widened at the name, and Danny caught this as he blasted him with an ecto-blast.

"He's the ghost we've been looking for, Scott." Danny said as he turned into his ghost form, while Scott slipped on his visor.

The servant made a move to attack before Danny knocked him out with a smack to the head.

Killgrave's body convulsed on the floor as it changed into a glob of green ectoplasm with red eyes.

"Hello, Bertrand." Danny greeted. He pulled out his thermos and sucked him in.

"Where are the kids?" Scott asked.

"I don't know, but be on your guard." Danny warned him. "Bertrand doesn't work alone. He's the underling of a ghost called Spectra. She feeds on misery."

"Scott." Sarah ran in. "What's going on?" She noticed Danny in his ghost form. "What happened to you?"

"Long story, but these kids are being mistreated, and we've got to find them." Danny answered.

As they explored the home, Danny's ghost sense went off when they passed a door.

"They're down here." Danny opened the door. "In the basement."

"Sarah, you stay here." Scott told her. "We'll handle this."

The two walked down the stairs, with Danny using his ghost ray to light the way. They found a light switch and were greeted with the sight of the kids, now looking miserable and depressed.

In the center was Spectra, feeding off their misery.

"Spectra!" Danny snarled at her.

"Well, well, if it isn't the boy with the freaky powers." Spectra taunted before she noticed Danny had grown since the last time they fought. "Though maybe I should say man with freaky powers." She noticed Scott. "And now he was a freaky friend too."

"Get away from the children!" Scott roared.

"Why?" Spectra inquired. "Their misery is so delicious, so delectable. I'm so glad that I came across Mr. Killgrave." She pointed to a corner where the skeleton of Killgrave sat.

"You killed him?" Danny asked, horrified at what Spectra did but not surprised as she tried to kill his sister once.

"Killgrave was planning on using these kids for world conquest until I came in. Their misery was so much that I couldn't pass it up. So I killed him and had Bertrand take his place. With his fortune, nothing will stand in our way as we continue to feed and hold on to our youth."

Scott had enough as he blasted Spectra, but she dodged and grabbed Scott as she flew him back upstairs and threw him at a shelf.

"Scott!" Sarah cried in worry.

"Look at you." Spectra said to Scott as she fed on his misery. "Your parents are gone. Daddy wanted to be a space pirate rather than spend any time with you. You are a freak with those eyes you can't control. You can't even see any colors besides red and green. You've wasted your entire life for a cause that will never be fulfilled."

Scott was struggling, but Spectra's grip was strong. He couldn't blast her, as she held his head at an angle where he couldn't hit her.

"You are nothing, Scott Summers." Spectra said sadistically.

"I disagree." Danny said as he blasted her off.

Danny went up to Scott. "Scott, don't listen to what she says. She's just using your doubts against you, but you can beat her. I did it, and I know you can too. You're the glue that holds the X-Men together. Without you, we would be lost."

Scott snapped out of it as he glared at Spectra.

"Let's put an end to this." Scott blasted her with his optic blast, this time actually hitting her. Danny joined in with his ghost ray as Spectra's shadowy form peeled off further and further until she was nothing but a wrinkly old woman.

"No!" Spectra cried. "My youth! I want my youth back!"

Danny pulled out the thermos. "And we want those kids back."

Spectra screamed as she was sucked up.

They all went back to the basement to free the kids.

"Thank goodness." Sarah sighed in relief. "Are you kids alright?"

"Sarah, can we go home now?" Skids asked.

Sarah hugged her. "Of course we can, darling."

"How could I have been so foolish?" Sarah said as she watched the kids sleep. They were back at the orphanage, safe and sound.

"Don't blame yourself, Sarah." Scott said. "The whole state's been taken in by that guy. Whatever effect they had on those children evidently isn't total."

Scott then remembered something. Sarah had seen him use his powers. "Sarah, when I..." He didn't know how to say it. "Used my mutant powers back at Killgrave's; you weren't shocked."

"No, I already knew." Sarah said.

Scott was perplexed that she knew. "But when did you..."

"I've known since that day back when we were kids." Sarah confided. "When the others were so cruel to you, when no one would adopt you."

"But you never made me feel like an outcast like the others did." Scott pointed out.

"It didn't matter to me, Scott." Sarah said. "You were always my friend."

"So what will you do?" Scott asked her. "Now that you don't have Killgrave's generous donations anymore."

"I don't know." Sarah said.

"I can help with that." Danny said. "I have a friend, Vladimir Masters; I think I can get him to help out."

Sarah smiled. "That would be wonderful." She then turned to Scott. "There's a place here for you as well, Scott, if you want it."

"Thanks, Sarah." Scott appreciated her offer. "But helping you and the children made me realize that there's another place where I belong and where I'm also needed."

The two said their goodbyes before heading home.

"Thanks for what you said back when we were fighting Spectra." Scott thanked Danny as they rode the bus home. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Scott." Danny said. "I've dealt with that bitch getting into my head. So do you feel better now? You know, about being an X-Men?"

Scott smiled confidently. "Spectra was wrong. I haven't wasted my life. I'm where I need to be. With the X-Men."