Danny had been tense ever since the discovery that Apocalypse and his Eye of Ages were missing. The X-Man tried to get Cujo to sniff it out, but the ghostly hound wasn't able to pick anything up. Xavier attempted to use Cerebro to detect any strong mutant activity, but other than regular signatures popping up, there was no sign of the ancient mutant. Logan, once he heard the story, informed Fury and warned him to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

After doing the best they could, the X-Men soon went back to their usual schedules and lives. Danny, however, still had an uneasy feeling that something terrible was about to happen. To prepare himself, he doubled his efforts in Danger Room sessions. He would've ended up like Scott if it weren't for Rogue and Wanda making sure that he lived his life instead of always training.

And wouldn't you know it, a perfect opportunity came that gave him a chance to kick back and unwind with his girlfriends. Xavier had gotten them all tickets to a cruise to the Bahamas as a relaxing vacation. Most of the students at the institute were excited and came aboard, though a few stayed behind.

It was nightfall as the ship carrying them all was currently sailing through the waters while everyone was partying. Tabitha, who was also given the chance to come, was in a game of limbo as she managed to get under the low bar.

"Oh, yeah! That's the lowdown!" She cheered as she high-fived Bobby. While all the mutants seemed to be having a good time, one of them, Amara, was by the railing looking out into the ocean. Instead of being excited like she was initially when she heard about the cruise, she appeared more withdrawn and somewhat ill.

"Tabitha sure knows how to have a good time." Storm said as she came to the girl's side. "I'm glad she came."

"Me too." Amara agreed. "But maybe I should've stayed home like some of the others."

"Still not feeling well?" Storm asked, as Amara appeared a bit lightheaded and dizzy when they first came onboard.

"Not really." The Brazilian teen answered honestly.

"I can ask the ship's doctor to give you something." The instructor offered.

"No. I'll be fine." Amara assured her. "Don't worry."

"Come on, landlubber." Tabitha walked up and took Amara by the arm. "Let's cruise the deck and get you feeling better."

While the rest of the students were partying, on another part of the ship three certain lovers were staring at the starry night sky. Any person walking by would think they were just admiring the scenery, but in reality, they were also having a conversation through telepathy.

'Isn't it beautiful?' Rogue asked.

'Beautiful isn't enough to describe it.' Wanda was instead looking at the massive ocean that was a preview to the big world that it connected to. 'I've forgotten how big the world really is. All the countries, all the little islands. So much to explore. So much to discover. You know, someday I want to travel across the whole world. I'm sure it would be a hell of a lot better than Bayville.'

'I'm with you on that. What about you, Danny?'

'Huh?' The distracted phantom gave a brief glance at the stars. 'Oh, yeah, sure. Pretty.' He continued staring off into space as the two girls looked at each other in astonishment at his response. Since when did Danny ignore the stars so blatantly like this? Wanda placed a hand on his forehead, causing Danny to move away. "What are you doing?"

"Taking your temperature." She replied like it was obvious. "He is feeling cold." She then said to Rogue, who took his temperature next.

"You're right." Rogue confirmed. "Are you feeling okay?" The southern goth asked her boyfriend. "You've been shivering since we first stepped on board."

"I think so. It's just that ever since Khepri gave me that energy boost, I've been feeling a bit cold sometimes." He replied before backtracking as he saw the concerned gazes of his girlfriends. "But it's nothing to worry about. Besides, it's night; it's supposed to be a bit chilly."

"In the Caribbean?" Wanda asked doubtfully.

"Okay, maybe it is a bit of a bother, but that's what it is. Just a bit." He pointed out. "And tomorrow we'll have the heat of the Caribbean bearing down on us. So it'll be impossible to feel cold then."

"Alright then, we'll take your word." Rogue let up. "But if anything changes, no matter how small you think it is, you're telling us. You got that?"

"And we mean anything. Fevers, muscle aches, hallucinations..." Wanda listed before seeing that Rogue was giving her a weird look. "What? It could happen."

"Whatever happens, we want to know right away." Rogue clarified, making Danny hunch a bit, it seemed that having two girlfriends did come with drawbacks. For one, you got twice the bossiness.

"I will." Danny promised. "But trust me. I'm okay. I'll survive."

"You better." Rogue threatened. "Because if you don't, Wanda and I will find a way to resurrect you and kick your ass."

"Noted." He said, and thereafter, the three went back to quietly admiring the stars.

"It's so beautiful." Wanda praised as she took in the view before pulling out a camera and snapping a photo. "This one's going in the scrapbook. It'll be the inspiration for my next masterpiece."

"Can't believe Scott and Jean passed this up." Rogue said.

"Well, Jean wanted to go." Danny remembered. "But Scott..."

"Scott, come on, we get to be on a cruise." Jean was attempting to pull her boyfriend out of his bed, but Scott had an iron grip and refused to get up. "Don't you know how romantic that is?"

"I told you, Jean." Scott replied. "I vowed that I would never get in another vehicle again, and boats are technically vehicles, so no."

Normally Scott would be down for a cruise, as it would allow him to get some personal time with Jean. Only problem was that he had just gotten back from taking Kitty driving. Now this wouldn't be that much of a deal if Kitty weren't an absolute demon when behind the wheel. The girl couldn't understand the idea of a speed limit. Or traffic lights. Or stop signs. Honestly, she didn't appear to understand the concept of the word "stop" or the words "slow down." Not even the phrase "KITTY, YOU'RE HEADING INTO THE LAKE!" seemed to dawn on her. And so naturally no one wanted to go driving with her.

And last week Scott was the poor soul who had to go with her. But it wasn't of his choice. He and Jean had been in the kitchen when they heard Kitty's voice calling for them. Jean, deciding it wasn't going to be her, used her telekinesis and lifted Scott off his feet and floated him over to his fate. After one hour on the road with Kitty, Scott was...

Well...

"I'm staying here in this bed." He whispered fearfully. "It never moves. So that means no crashes, no sudden bursts of speed, and definitely no NSYNC." He said the last part as he remembered the music that Kitty played on the radio while they were driving.

Jean sat down on the bed and rubbed her boyfriend's head, trying to go for a more gentler approach. "Scott, you can't stay there forever. It'll be fun. No one will know that we're mutants. No one will call us names or give us dirty looks. And not only that, but we'll be together. Just the two of us."

"I'm not moving, Jean."

The psychic narrowed her eyes as she used her powers to literally drag her man out of bed, but Scott stubbornly held on.

"NO! I'm not going; you can't make me!"

"I can and I will."

"I suggest you quit while you're ahead, Jean." Logan entered the room carrying a can of beer. "Besides, you were the one who threw him to the wolves." The man shivered as he recalled his time teaching the half-pint how to drive. "Let me tell you something: I've seen betrayal in my time, but what you did, Red, that was just cold." He then offered the can to Scott. "Here you go, Scott. You earned it."

"Beer?" Jean was scandalized at the very idea of underage drinking. "Logan, he's not even twenty-one yet."

"But he's seen things no ordinary twenty-one-year-old has." Logan stated. "Besides, isn't it your turn to take the half pint today?"

Jean suddenly found her feet more interesting to look at. "I...uh, might have asked Danny to do it instead."

Logan gave a sigh. "Figures. Might as well get his beer when he comes back."

"Bye Bye Bye." Came the obnoxious loud music from the radio of one of the institute's cars as Kitty pulled in, making Scott groan as he put his head in his pillow to drown out the noise.

"Alright." Logan grumbled. "Let's go see how our resident ghost is doing."

The three (Scott actually came out of his bed on his own volition so he could help Danny through the trauma) came down into the kitchen where Danny was calmly making himself a sandwich.

"What's up?" Danny greeted them happily, much to their sudden amazement. He didn't look shaken, disturbed, or even a bit traumatized.

"Alright, bub, how bad was it?" Logan asked, figuring that Danny was attempting to hold it all in like a trooper.

"Eh, I've seen worse." The half-ghost answered honestly.

"WORSE!" Scott, Logan, and Jean all shouted in disbelief.

"B-but how? Who could be worse?" Logan questioned.

Danny chuckled. "You should've seen how my old man used to drive. He ignored all speed limits, red lights, and certain laws of physics. All you needed to do to get him to drive like that was to tell him you saw a ghost."

Logan appraised Danny a bit before walking over and bringing him into a hug. "I'm sorry, Danny. No one should ever have to go through that."

"Uh, Logan." Danny said, caught off guard by this weird behavior.

"It's okay." Logan hushed. "You can cry if you want to. No one will judge you for it."

"What?"

Scott soon joined the hug. "If anyone does, they have to answer to us."

"Okay, guys, this is getting weird."

"I think he might need some beer, Logan." Jean advised.

"On it." The mutant with the metal skeleton went off to get the drink.

"And that's how I got my first six-pack." Danny said as he finished the story, making the girls laugh before they all heard a splash.

"Hey, uh, since you were speaking of hallucinations earlier. Is it me, or do you see that too?" He pointed over to what appeared to be several ice sculptures floating in the water. There was a clock tower, Abraham Lincoln, and a family of ducks.

The trio was confused before it suddenly hit them. "Bobby." They all said in unison.

And indeed they were correct, as Bobby was on the deck with the other students, firing his ice into the water as he made one of a woman with a basketball.

"And that one's my salute to spring break!" He proclaimed. "What do you think, Amara?"

"Huh?" Amara looked up, still not feeling well. "Oh, yeah. Great, Bobby." She said in a tired voice.

"Do one more, Bobby!" Tabitha encouraged. "A big one!"

"Okay." Bobby rubbed his hands together as he tried to think of something. "Um, hey, name this movie." He stood up on the ship's railing and fired off a beam of ice, creating a giant iceberg." Once he was finished, he announced, "I'm king of the—"

"Bobby!" Danny cried, startling the boy, causing him to stumble and fall off the railing. Luckily he didn't land in the water, but he was currently holding on for dear life.

Meanwhile, one of the navigators detected something on their sonar and gasped as he saw the huge iceberg that they were currently heading towards. He pressed the alarm button and immediately tried to steer the ship out of the way.

Back with Bobby, he was still hanging on. "Help! Teen overboard." Eventually, his grip soon loosened, and he would've fallen if Rogue didn't fly down and grab him. Pulling him back up, the group was now confronted with the next problem. The giant iceberg they were heading towards.

"Amara, quick! Melt that sucker!" Tabitha said.

Amara tried to light up her body, but the flames quickly died out. "I can't! I don't know what's wrong!"

"I got it!" Danny fired a massive ghost ray from his hands, shattering the mountain of ice and allowing the ship safe passage, much to the navigator's shock at seeing the iceberg somehow break apart (he'd been too busy with emergency procedures to notice Danny's ghost ray).

As the X-Men took a breath now that the danger had passed, Danny and Rogue immediately glared daggers at the one responsible.

"It was just a joke, honest." Bobby tried to calm them down, but his excuse and lack of remorse only pissed them off further.

"A joke?" Danny gritted out. "You call almost sinking the ship a joke? That was an iceberg, Bobby. An iceberg! What in Clockwork's name were you thinking?!"

Bobby backed up a bit, remembering the time he pissed Danny off when he and the other new recruits took the Blackbird for a joyride. "I was just reenacting Titanic." He said lamely.

"Reenacting Titanic?" Rogue repeated angrily as she grabbed him by his shirt, making Bobby gulp as everyone knew it wasn't wise to get on Rogue's bad side. "Well, how about I throw you overboard, and you can recreate the scene where Jack accepts his demise and drowns?"

"N-No, I'm good." The young boy stuttered. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."

Danny shook his head. "Bobby, you know Storm said no powers. Not only did you decide to break that rule, but you almost did it in a way that could've killed people."

"People are fearful of mutants already; do you really want to give them more ammo?" Rogue added making the boy feel ashamed, as he hadn't thought too much of the possible consequences of his actions.

"Okay, I get it." He apologized. "It was stupid. I won't do it again."

Danny, instead of glaring at the boy, gave him the classic "I'm disappointed" look that all parents had perfected. "Next time you think of doing something stupid, try to use common sense. Now I know that's hard for someone like you, but I'd at least appreciate it if you showed some effort."

"I will." Bobby murmured, feeling regretful over his actions.

"Now get out of here, all of you." Rogue ordered, with the newer recruits complying without argument. "I just hope that no one saw that." She said to the others.

"Really, it was right there." The crewmember who saw the iceberg claimed as he was being looked over by one of the medics.

"Icebergs in the Caribbean." His superior joked to another crewmember, who laughed at the absurdity. What was next, he was gonna claim he saw a ghost?

"Man, it's going to be a pain watching over them." Danny voiced as the three were now alone. Since Scott and Jean didn't come, that made him, the next senior student, the one in charge. "It's like being a parent forced to take their kid on vacation because they couldn't find a babysitter."

"Well, I don't think they'll be too much of a problem now that we scared Bobby straight." Rogue offered as she wrapped her arms around Danny. "I'm sure they'll stay in line. Now come on, let's enjoy ourselves."

"Agreed." Wanda then pulled out her camera. "Rogue, can you please take a small picture for me?" She handed the camera to her and then pulled Danny towards the bow, and together they created that iconic scene from Titanic. "Got to admit Bobby was on to something."

"Hehehe. I'm king of the world!" Danny announced playfully before Wanda and Rogue switched places for another photo. The three then goofed around a bit before they decided to call it a night.

"You think we can share a cabin and not get caught?" Danny asked, making the girls smirk.

"I'm willing to risk it." Rogue said as she grabbed their hands and was about to phase through the wall, only to smack her head against the hard wood.

"Ah, what the hell? I was supposed to phase—Oh." She then went dead quiet as she remembered her ghost powers were gone. "Right."

Danny and Wanda could see the glint of sadness in her green eyes. "You miss her, don't you?" The hybrid stated.

Rogue soon turned abrasive at the very idea. "Hell no! I don't want to see that bitch ever again. She can melt into protoplasm or whatever for all I care." Upon seeing Danny and Wanda giving her a dubious look. "What?"

"Rogue, it's okay to say that you miss her." Wanda comforted. "Believe it or not I still missed my father and brother during my first few years after they left me. So it's okay if you're still having trouble letting go."

"I'm not having any trouble with anything." Rogue declared before seeing that her lovers weren't convinced. She held a defiant stare for a few moments before finally relenting. "Fine, I... I miss her." She confessed quietly as she sat down on the wooden floor. "I can't believe she tried to take control of me, used my body to hurt my friends, and she didn't even feel any regret."

Her lovers sat down as she continued venting. "Not only that, but she called me hopeless. Said that I wasted my powers on those who didn't deserve it. She used to be my friend, but did she ever think the same about me, or was it all a lie?"

"I wish I could tell you, Rogue." Danny said. "But she did tell you that it was Magneto's chamber back on his asteroid that started it. You saw what it did to Scott and Alex." He then paused as he added, "And me. The old man couldn't help but make sure that it instilled in us his twisted philosophy. So who knows what thoughts it put in her mind?"

Rogue recalled the transformation that was performed on her boyfriend. It was terrifying, and the memory only got worse in hindsight as she found out just who Danny resembled after his metamorphosis.

"How did it feel after you came out of that chamber?" Rogue asked out of morbid curiosity.

"Nothing but anger." Danny mused as he thought back to that moment. He was really glad he managed to snap out of that trance. "Why do you ask?"

Rogue hesitated a moment before saying, "I was just wondering if Magneto's chamber put those thoughts into Vampira's head or if they were there from the beginning and only got stronger. She told me that she was a part of me that always existed deep down, but I... I just don't want to believe it. I mean, I know about that one future, but that was because of losing you. I have no reason to be like that, but she still exists. Unless I'm—"

"Hey, even the best of us have issues. So I wouldn't worry too much over it." Wanda advised as she wrapped her arms around Rogue. "You're a good person, Rogue. Sure you're not perfect, but you're not some genocidal maniac."

"She's right." Danny joined the hug. "You handled those powers much better than most." He reassured as he thought back to Vlad and his selfish use of his powers, along with that one time Tucker had acquired them and used them just to mess around. "If Vampira couldn't see that, then that's her problem."

Wanda nodded in agreement. "There's more to strength than just aggressive displays of power."

"Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it." Rogue replied. "And as much as I miss her, I'm gonna miss having ghost powers more. They made me feel strong. Powerful. Like I could do anything if I just put my mind to it. It felt exhilarating."

Danny gave a small nod. "I know what you mean. It was fun being a teacher and showing you everything I know. But look on the bright side; at least you can still fly. That'll always be my favorite power."

Rogue's lips soon broke into a slight smile. "Yeah, there is that." And with that the three simply enjoyed the silence while being in each other's presence as Rogue started to relax, though she couldn't help but wonder how her other half was faring.

The moon stood high in the sky as a lone figure was making her way down an empty dirt road, her boots making a crunching noise as she marched down said road. Sure, she could've been flying at who knows how many miles per hour, and she had been two hours ago, but now she just wanted to take a leisurely stroll. The barren road before her gave her plenty of time to think, to contemplate, to ponder. What would be her next move?

She was at a disadvantage right now, all because of that witch (she barely restrained a snarl when she thought about her). For thanks to Wanda, she had been banished from her other half and, in a way, also banished from Bayville as well. After all, she couldn't go back or do anything without gaining the X-Men's attention. Though the X-Men were no threat, Wanda's magic was capable of hurting her, not to mention Danny. While she didn't stick around to find out about the hybrid's condition, she had a feeling that he was still kicking. Too bad he would see her as an enemy; no doubt her twin was speaking poison into his ear, telling him how cruel and twisted Vampira was.

Well, little Miss Emo can say whatever she likes. Because in the end, Vampira would take her man back and show her foolish human half just how worthless she was without her. And then she would show the world. It would be hers, all of it.

The sound of wheels crushing dirt drew her attention as behind her a truck was coming into view. She was about to turn invisible but reconsidered it as the truck slowly come to a stop. A smile easily came to her lips as she dimmed her aura, making her appear as a human, albeit an oddly dressed human.

"Need a lift, miss?" The driver asked kindly.

"Thanks, sugar, you're too kind." The ghost girl said appreciatively as she climbed into the passenger's seat. The semi soon started moving as the driver tried to make small talk.

"Where are you heading?" He inquired. "Some kind of convention?"

"Huh?" Vampira looked at him strangely.

"Your outfit." He repeated. "Aren't you some kind of cosplayer or something?"

"Oh!" The ghost looked down at the black and green jumpsuit she wore that made her stand out along with her white hair with a streak of auburn. "Oh, no, this is just something I wear casually. As you can see with my hair, I have a unique sense of style."

The man chuckled. "Kids today and your fashion choices. My daughter's the same; she dyes her hair green, believe it or not. But aren't your folks a bit worried about you hiking all alone?"

Vampira looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by. "Can't say I have family anymore. Parents are long gone, my aunt and I aren't on speaking terms anymore, and this girl that I once saw as a sister..." She barely tried to hold in a growl. "Let's just say we went our separate ways. I got nobody. I'm all alone."

"I'm so sorry. Didn't mean to bring back any bad memories." The man apologized as he made a turn. "But I'll say this it sounds like you've had a hard life."

"You have no idea, darling." Vampira replied. "But I'm not going down so easily. I'll turn it back around." As she gazed around at the contents of the truck, she noticed a photo that was displayed of the driver and his family consisting of a wife and two kids, a son and a daughter. "Looks like you have a nice family, uh..." Her question stopped as she realized something. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't think I ever got your name."

The driver, a middle-aged, stocky man wearing cargo pants and a sturdy t-shirt, smiled. "Names Enos, miss. And yes, my family is my life. I keep this photo here so that in a way they're always with me when I travel on the road."

Vampira peered at the photo. "Your wife looks very happy."

Enos blushed. "Well, I try my best to keep that smile on her at all times. I remember the first time I saw her back in sophomore year. I'll tell you it was like love at first sight. I asked her out, and the rest was history."

"Sounds nice." His passenger muttered with no emotion.

"You ever had someone special in your life?"

"Oh, I had someone once. He was very special, a one of a kind guy." Vampira revealed. "But I don't think he felt the same way toward me. My friend was the one who always held his heart."

"That's a shame, but you're a pretty girl; I'm sure you'll find someone else."

"Doubt that." She scoffed. "This gal has high standards and big ambitions. She ain't settling for anything less."

"Hey, you never know what life has in store for you." Enos tried to reassure her. "I'm sure you'll find someone good enough for you."

Vampira gave Enos a quizzical look as she observed him. "You seem like a good person, Enos. You're giving me a free ride, and you've been nothing but supportive as you listened to my troubles. I appreciate that."

"Well, my mom and pops taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated, and I took that to heart."

"How sweet." The girl droned. "Though I wonder if you'd have the same feeling if you truly knew what I was."

Enos was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not human, Enos. Not completely." Vampira answered. "You know all those dangerous mutants you hear about on the news? I'm like them, but even more dangerous." She scrutinized him to see his reaction, expecting to see disgust, hatred, or fear, but what she got was none of that. He didn't even screech the truck to a halt and demand that she get out. He just kept on driving. "Huh." Vampira mused at his reaction, or rather lack of. "Gotta be honest, I expected you to be more fearful. And hateful."

"Well, I like to think I'm more human than the rest of the people you see. Guess you're not used to much acceptance then?"

"Nada." The girl shook her head. "Ever since I could remember I was always different even before the powers. Always getting weird looks and people whispering behind my back. And it only grew worse when people found out what I am. They hate me because I'm better than them. So I hate them back." Her eyes soon blared in anger as Enos sped up a bit, feeling unnerved by the green light.

"Tell me something, Enos." Vampira drawled in her southern accent. "Do you believe mutants and humans can truly live in peace?"

"I-I, uh, think it could be possible." Enos stuttered as he tried to keep his eyes on the road, which was hard with the way this girl was looking at him. It was the look of a predator that found something juicy to gnaw its teeth on. "Deep down we're all the same; we all bleed, we all feel loss, pain, joy, and anger. You know that sort of thing."

"Maybe, but sharing the world has never been humanity's defining trait." Vampira countered. "They can barely get along with itself, much less another species. And mutants, why should I bother with those hosers? I'm better, stronger, and more powerful than any of them. Hell, I'm in a different league compared to them. So those yahoos can tear at each other all they want. I'll be the one to change the world."

Enos steeled his nerves as he asked, "Change the world? You think you can do that?"

Vampira's eyes gleamed as she gave the truck driver a rather frightening grin. "Certainly, sugar. Mama here has got some plans. Big plans. Everyone better watch out because my kind will soon be making all the rules."

"You're kind?" Enos paled at the thought of more people like this. "There's more than one of you?"

"There will be." Vampira promised. She then noticed that the truck was going faster. "You seem to be in a rush to drop me off. Have I frightened you already, hon?"

"Of course not!" Enos denied. "I just—"

"Your hands are trembling, aren't they?"

"They're not!" The truck driver refuted, a little too quickly. "They're not. And besides, what do I have to be afraid of?"

"The night perhaps. It does look pretty spooky." Vampira leaned in closer as Enos tried to make sure that she didn't distract him and cause an accident. "Or maybe you're scared of little old me."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Really? Because if you weren't, then you would look at me." Vampira said, enjoying herself as she saw a bit of sweat form on his forehead. Enos, in an attempt to prove her wrong, gave a brief look at her face only to look away, for her eyes, a jade green, glowed so bright that there were no pupils, making her look all the more inhuman.

"So you are afraid of me." Vampira placed a hand on his shoulder and giggled as he shuddered before noticing the speed was going up to 75mph. "You're driving faster and faster so you can get to town and tell the police."

"Lies! Lies!" Enos cried. "Why would I want to tell the police anything!"

The specter smirked. "Because you think I'm going to kill you."

"Kill me?"

"Yes." Vampira perked. "But don't worry, sugar, I understand you're a bit shaken. You can drop me off right now, and we can go our separate ways. Just let me out, and you'll never have to see me again."

Enos put his foot on the brake, forcing the truck to a screeching halt. He took a couple of breaths before turning to the hitchhiker he picked up. "Alright, I stopped; there you go. Now get out of my truck!"

But Vampira did not move; she just stared at him with that oh-so-intense gaze. "You know, Enos, there's a reason that with all of my power I simply chose to take your ride. Don't you want to know the reason?"

"No, now get out! Please just leave me alone!" Enos pleaded.

However, the ghoul ignored him as she went on with her little speech. "The reason I got in was because I'm hungry, and I need to feed."

"...What?" The man whispered to himself silently.

"You've been such a nice guy, Enos. It's a pity; the world could use more people like you. But don't you worry, I'll never forget you." Vampira took off her gloves and reached out to grab him. "Because you know what they say, you never forget your first."

The screams of the poor man echoed in the night.

Danny yelped as he leaped off his bed; the cold had awoken him rudely, like a slap to the face. His body was freezing; his limbs felt stiff as he tried to move them like they had been frozen solid overnight. The shivering came to him as easily as breathing. And the cold. It was numbing and unpleasant. A perfect way to describe it is if one was taking a bath full of ice cubes instead of water. Not even the body warmth of his two girlfriends and the blankets could help.

Not being able to take it anymore, he phased through the arms of his girlfriends and made his way to his closet, unintentionally waking up Rogue and Wanda.

"Danny?" Wanda watched as her boyfriend started putting on shirt after shirt, trying to bury the cold through as much clothing as possible.

"And I thought I wore lots of layers." Rogue commented.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you, but I am so cold." He spoke through chattering teeth. "So very, very cold." Inwardly he raged at the fact that he hadn't brought much heavier clothing. Only one long-sleeved shirt and a sweatshirt. But he would have to make do. Once he had the long-sleeve shirt on along with three more short-sleeved ones, he zipped up his sweatshirt and looked in the mirror.

"Danny." Wanda pointed at his reflection.

"I know." Danny said, thinking she was going to make a crack at his appearance. "Guess I can't pull off multiple clothes on me like you can, Rogue." He joked as he looked like he was heading to an expedition into the Arctic instead of a cruise to the Caribbean.

"Not that." Rogue replied in annoyance. "Your skin. Sugar, you're pale. Paler than me, for crying out loud."

Focusing on his reflection, he could see that Rogue was right. Though it wasn't the same color as Rogue's skin, it was a pale blue that almost resembled Dan, though it was a much lighter color than his.

"What the hell is happening to me?" The hybrid could even see his own breath; it was a blue mist exactly like his ghost sense.

"Okay, that's it. We got to get you to the ship's doctor." Rogue decided.

"Doctor? What's a doctor going to say when he sees this?" Danny pointed to his face. "He'll find out I'm not entirely human, and it'll blow the lid on who we all are and ruin the trip." He tried to reason with Rogue, who wasn't having it.

"Forget the trip! Look at yourself; for all we know, you could have hypothermia or something even worse."

"Rogue, Danny might be right." Wanda jumped in. "It could be something to do with his powers, and no doctor will be able to help with that."

"So what do we do?" Rogue asked as her eyes analyzed her boyfriend worriedly.

"I think we should let him get some rest while making sure he doesn't freeze to death."

"Fine." Rogue relented. "Danny, get your ass back in bed."

"Can I have breakfast first?" He asked innocently, getting looks from the two. "What? I may be cold as hell, but it doesn't mean I'm not hungry."

Danny wasn't the only one not having a good time on this vacation, as Amara woke up feeling terrible. It seemed that whatever she was feeling yesterday doubled in intensity, much to her misery, as she had originally thought she could sleep this off.

Tabitha, however, was as chipper as ever. "Man, could these cabins be any smaller?" She remarked as she brushed her hair in the mirror. "I'm not sure if I'm brushing my hair or yours."

"I'm going back to bed." Amara collapsed back down on her mattress.

"It's a total bummer you're still seasick."

"I'm not seasick." Amara stated. "It's... it's something else."

"It's not something gross, is it?" Tabitha wondered as she tied her hair. "'Cause I accidentally used your toothbrush."

"No. I felt like this once before on the plane from Brazil." Amara revealed as she thought back to when she first joined the institute and how she felt once they took off into the skies. Thankfully, it soon faded away once they got back on land. "I just don't do well when I've been away from the ground too long."

"Weird. Guess it's part of your whole magma thing." Tabitha assumed.

"I'm sure I'll feel better when we dock in the Bahamas."

"Hope so." Waving goodbye, Tabitha walked down the halls where Storm was approaching.

"Ready for breakfast?"

Tabitha gave a mock salute. "Reporting for scarfing duty, chaperone lady. But Amara's taking a pass."

"Oh? I'll check in on her then meet you down there with the others. And, Tabitha." Storm gave her a stern look. "Low profile, remember?"

"Hey, it's just breakfast." Tabitha pointed out. "What could happen?"

"Jamie, don't tap on the glass." Rogue lightly scolded as she saw the young boy attempt to do with the tank containing the lobsters. As the twelve-year-old went on his way, Rogue took a moment to admire the dining room on the ship. It was a lot more spacious than the institute's dining room for one thing, so there was no worry of accidentally touching someone or, worse, getting pelted in the face during a food fight, which was common at the school.

Not only that, but the atmosphere was much calmer and more relaxed, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood except for one lady who was ripping into a waiter.

"You call this eggs benedict?" She complained. "The hollandaise sauce tastes like glue! And just try cutting this piece of leather you call ham."

"I'm terribly sorry, miss." The waiter apologized as the table next to them, which was occupied by the X-Men, heard this exchange.

"Oh, great." Tabitha muttered. "A whiner."

Rogue also didn't seem to be enthused about having to dine near some spoiled rich lady as she headed over to the buffet line, where Jamie saw some fresh waffles being put in.

"Alright, waffles!" Jamie cheered. "I totally love this place!" He hit his fist in triumph, creating three duplicates that bumped into Wanda, who was stacking food on her plate. She gave an annoyed glance before her eyes widened at seeing four identical Jamies.

"Jamie!" She whispered harshly before looking around to make sure no one was paying them any mind. They weren't, so Wanda then turned back to the boy. "Get rid of them; you remember what Storm said. No powers."

Jamie complied as the three duplicates vanished, causing the plates they had been holding to fall to the ground and shatter. "Sorry." He apologized before getting his food and scurrying off to the table with the others. Wanda shook her head before going back to getting some food as Rogue came over to join her.

"What happened here?" Rogue asked as she saw the broken plates on the floor.

"Apparently Jamie wanted to see if he could eat four times the regular amount of waffles at the same time." Wanda explained. "He's lucky no one saw his three identical copies."

"Eh, we could've made some cock-and-bull story of them all being quadruplets or something." Rogue waved off. "You got Danny's breakfast?"

"Uh huh. Poor guy." Wanda answered. After Danny had said he was hungry, both Rogue and Wanda agreed to bring him some breakfast in bed. "But at least we'll get some privacy eating up in his room. No whining diners to put up with."

And just on cue the lady from earlier started to complain again. "You expect me to eat this? Just what kind of chef do you have working back there, someone from a food van from off the street?"

"I don't know what she's complaining about." Wanda said in disgust at the bratty behavior. "Compared to the sludge they served at the asylum, this is practically gourmet cooking to me." Picking up the plates, the two were about to head up to Danny's room when they happened to notice their favorite ghost was across the room getting some coffee instead of staying in bed like he should. Sharing peeved looks, the two girls made a beeline toward their partner.

Danny, after locating the coffee, immediately poured it down his throat, not even waiting for it to cool, much to the shock and amazement of the waiter who had just brewed it. Seeing the look he was being given, Danny just shrugged. "I needed something hot to drink." He said lamely before going back to drinking the coffee, not noticing his girlfriends coming to round on him.

"What does "we'll get you breakfast, and you stay in bed" mean?" Rogue confronted.

"You were taking too long, and I was getting cold. Also, I wanted to stretch my legs for a bit." He took another big gulp of the coffee. "Besides, I feel warmer already."

Just as Rogue and Wanda were about to scold him, they observed Danny's appearance. His pale blue skin was back to its usual tone. Rogue blinked at the change. "You do look better." She placed a hand on his forehead. "And you don't feel cold anymore."

"Guess coffee can really work wonders." Wanda quipped.

"Well, that and a really hot shower." Danny clarified. "I feel great. Maybe whatever I had this morning was some kind of fluke." He saw the plate Wanda had gotten for him. "Is that mine? Thanks." He took it and headed toward an empty table next to the one with the others.

"I think it's good that he's moving around." Wanda said to Rogue as they followed him. "Exercise is a good way to keep the body warm incase it comes back."

"Perfect. If he starts shivering we'll just tell him to start doing jumping jacks." Rogue said sarcastically as they sat down to eat.

Danny, seeing the vase of flowers on the table, took two and offered them to Rogue and Wanda. "Some nice flowers for some nice ladies." He said getting blushes from the girls.

"Oh, man, are they for real?" Kitty said to Kurt as the two watched the romantic display.

Kurt offered a croissant to Kitty as he said in a mock attempt of Danny's voice. "Darlings, accept these croissants as symbols of my love."

"Oh, sugar." Kitty attempted to do a southern accent. "You have such a way with pastry." The two erupted in a series of giggles, not seeing that Rogue and Wanda had heard them. Sharing a nod, the two girls went into action. Wanda subtly sent a small hex bolt at Kurt, while Rogue took a bit of Kitty's energy. With the two taken care of, they turned back to Danny.

"So now that we like are done with that whole icksome cold—"

"Rogue, you're sounding like Kitty." Danny told her.

Rogue cleared her throat and concentrated a bit on pushing Kitty's influence out. "Oops, sorry. What I was saying was that now that we have that whole cold business behind us, what do you want to do? The rest of the day is ours. We could go scuba diving, lounge by the pool, play a game of racquetball, bingo—"

"Bingo?" Wanda scoffed. "What, are you sixty years old?"

"Wanda's right, bingo's lame." Danny agreed.

"Fine, no on bingo, but there's still plenty else to do."

Wanda gained a teasing smile. "I heard this ship has a sauna on it. Maybe we should go check it out." Seeing the two contemplate, she continued. "Think about it, the three of us, relaxing, warm, with nothing on but towels. And don't worry, Rogue." Wanda assured as she saw Rogue was about to speak up. "Danny and I will stick by you to make sure that you don't accidentally bump into someone with your bare skin."

Rogue and Danny both blushed at the idea, but before they could give their thoughts, they were interrupted by another complaint from the snooty woman.

"And take a close look at this table. Do you see any pulp-free orange juice on it?" The obnoxious guest whined. "Where's my orange juice?"

"I'll take care of it right away." The waiter tried to calm down.

"Ah, just forget it." The blonde lady said dismissively. "I lost my appetite."

"So have I." Tabitha, fed up with the immature behavior, made a small ball of energy in her hand and flicked it behind her, where it landed on the lady's plate. It went off, making the lady's breakfast explode and spraying her with the food. That would've been the end of it if the lady hadn't bumped into a waiter. This waiter had been making crepes suzette. Now this dish is served flambé style, but the waiter added too much alcohol. So as he was about to dispose of the flaming mess he had on his plate, the rude lady bumped into him, causing him to drop said plate as it fell onto another table, creating a fire, which caused the people in the room to start screaming.

"Oh my gosh." Wanda exclaimed as the three wondered what to do when the sorceress saw the tank containing the lobsters. Thinking quickly, she held out her hand and floated it over to the fire. Much to the awe and shock of everyone else. The rude lady turned around and, seeing Wanda moving her hand in conjunction with the tank, was able to put two and two together.

"Look! She's a mutant!" She announced, causing everyone to turn to the girl in question. Wanda paid no mind, too busy concentrating on trying to pour out just enough water to put out the fire when one of the people in the room accidentally bumped into her, resulting in the tank being dropped and all of the water pouring out. Although the fire was put out, the room was now flooded with lobsters roaming around, prompting some people to climb on top of the tables to avoid them.

Some of the X-Men tried to collect the lobsters, but they started pinching and made things worse. Jamie ended up multiplying after one hurt him while Kurt was having trouble getting one off. "Ow! Hey, let me go!" As he tried to yank it off, he accidentally deactivated his image inducer, revealing his blue and furry form to everyone, eliciting many gasps.

"They're all mutants!" The rude lady pointed at them as everyone ran out in terror, making Danny sigh.

"Great." He muttered sarcastically when he felt the chill return and in much greater force this time. He could see the blue vapor exit his mouth as he exhaled while his arms wrapped around himself as his skin was slowly starting to pale again. Much to his shock, he looked down and saw that the water he was currently standing in was starting to freeze. The X-Men, not wanting their feet to get frozen, all got up on the tables and watched as the water finished solidifying into ice, leaving a very slippery floor.

"Whoa!" Bobby looked at Danny. "I didn't know you could make ice too."

"Neither did I." Danny choked out through chattering teeth as Rogue and Wanda made their way over to him when Danny cried, "Back off!" He shivered as his body lit up with a cold blue aura. "I can't control it. I don't know if I can stop myself from freezing you solid."

Just then the door slammed open as Storm marched in. She had seen the crowd leave in a crazy frenzy and knew they had been responsible. "What did you—" Her tirade was cut short as she ended up slipping on the newly formed ice, making everyone flinch as they knew this would only make her angrier. Looking up, she was about to yell furiously only to see the distressed Danny, causing her anger to instantly be replaced with concern.

"Oh, dear." She got up and floated over to Danny. "What happened?" She demanded.

"I don't know." Danny admitted. "I was feeling really cold this morning, and now I started freezing everything. I can't make it stop."

"Just calm down." Storm advised gently as she tried to think of what to do. If she could do anything. "Can you move?"

He tried to take a step forward only to see his feet were stuck in the ice. Phasing them out, he turned back to Storm. "What do we do?"

"We'll need to find some place warm for you to stay in the meantime." Storm placated. "And then contact the professor and have the Blackbird pick you up. Perhaps Hank can think of something to help once we get you back home."

Danny groaned. This vacation has really gone downhill.

"I hope Danny will be alright." Kitty said as she and the other students were heading to the pool. Lucky for them, Storm had been too focused on Danny to yell at them for ignoring her order of no powers. Last they saw of him, Storm had put a blanket around him and was leading him to the lower decks of the ship.

"I still can't believe he can create ice too." Bobby added before getting a smug look on his face. "Maybe the professor can have me teach him how to control them when we get back."

Before the others could make a joke about Bobby ever being a teacher, they saw a mother pull her child away from them as she gave them a fearful look. Walking out into the pool area didn't improve things as everyone gave them accusing and judgmental stares while others whispered to themselves about the fact they would have to share their cruise with a bunch of mutants.

"This sunny cruise has taken a major chill." Kurt remarked.

"Sorry, guys." Tabitha apologized. "Guess I blew it big time."

"Hey, freaks!" One man called from the pool. "Why don't you just stay in your cabins?"

Tabitha was about to teach this guy a world of pain when Bobby caught her arm. "Cool it, Tabitha. Just ignore those jerks."

"Yeah, you're right." She relented. "I think I'm just gonna go see how Amara's doing." She then left as Bobby went to join the others but not before firing a bit of ice into the pool, making the water chilly. He smirked at the discomforted people forced to climb out.

Back with Tabitha, as she was heading back to her cabin, the ship's PA system went on as the captain started speaking.

"Attention passengers! Looks like we've got some rough weather ahead, so we won't be proceeding directly to the Bahamas." He reported. "Instead we'll anchor here off San Sebastian Island and wait it out. We apologize for the inconvenience."

"No." Came Amara's distraught voice as Tabitha entered the room.

"Amara, what's wrong?"

"I have to get to shore!" Amara pleaded. "If I don't get on land fast, I don't think I'll make it!"

Amara wasn't the only one having problems. Danny had been confined to one of the ship's saunas. Storm had spoken with the captain, who thankfully wasn't as prejudiced against mutants (Danny doubted Storm told the captain who exactly he was) and closed off that part of the ship so he wouldn't be disturbed. The heat from the room had been drastically increased thanks to Storm's powers. For now the boy was merely trying to relax as he waited for the Blackbird to arrive and take him home.

"Well, this sucks." Danny said. "I was really looking forward to a nice vacation, and now I have to go home thanks to my ghostly hypothermia."

"Look on the bright side." Wanda said as she and Rogue had stayed in the room to keep him company. While Danny was enjoying the excessive heat, the girls were sweating buckets with both of them having to take off their clothes, though they were still wearing swimsuits. "At least we get to share a sauna together all to ourselves. That's a win in my book."

Danny couldn't help but smile at Wanda attempting to cheer him up. "Can't argue with that." He looked at them with a boyish grin. "Not only that, but I'll take any excuse to see you girls in bikinis." Both girls blushed. "Too bad I'll be leaving soon."

"They'll be other vacations down the line." Rogue assured him. "So it's not the end of the world. And you won't be alone as we'll head home with you if you like."

"Really? You don't want to stay?"

"Nah, it won't be as much fun without you." Wanda replied.

"Well, if you insist. I just wish we could've had some fun before we had to leave." Danny wished, causing Wanda to get a bright idea.

"Let's just say we might be able to have a little bit of fun before the Blackbird comes to pick us up." She offered, getting curious glances from Danny and Rogue.

"What do you mean?" Rogue questioned.

"Danny, how are you feeling right now? You think you can keep the cold down for the next thirty to forty minutes?"

The half-ghost thought it over. Focusing on his ghostly energy, he could feel the chill was submerged for now. "Sure, why do you ask?" He saw that his girlfriend was deep in thought over something, and Rogue noticed it too.

"Just what are you planning, sugar?" Rogue asked her girlfriend, getting a grin as an answer.

"Follow me." The witch exited the sauna, and after a few seconds of wondering whether they should leave, they followed Wanda out onto the anchored ship, where they looked over the nearby island.

"Wanda, what are you doing?" Danny inquired as Wanda merely smiled, and to their amazement, she levitated herself off the ground. Before either of them could say a word, Wanda took them each by the hand and gently brought them up to join her.

"Wanda..." Rogue uttered in awe. "You're... you're flying."

"Surprise." The Scarlet Witch chuckled. "I've been practicing it in secret. Didn't want to let you know just yet. Wanted to save it for a special occasion like this. And I got to say it's finally nice to be able to fly with you both."

Danny gave her a brief kiss. "So this is what you want to do together? Just fly?"

Wanda nodded over to the island. "I was thinking we could fly over there. After all, everyone thinks we're in the sauna; no one will know that we're gone."

Danny and Rogue thought it over before Rogue said, "Lead the way."

The magic user grabbed their hands as the three flew over to the island as the dolphins splashed in the nearby waters, getting laughs and cheers from the couple. As they got closer to the island, they failed to notice that they had been spotted by Kitty and Kurt.

"Look, they're flying the coop!" Kitty said.

"Not without us!" Kurt grabbed her wrist and teleported them off the ship.

Elsewhere, Amara stumbled out of the bathroom and had to hold on to the door's hinges just to keep herself balanced as Tabitha came over to help.

"Whoa, alright, girl, that's it. We're getting you off this boat and onto dry land pronto. I just have to figure out how." Just then there was a knock at the door. Annoyed, Tabitha let out a "What?" in a louder voice than necessary.

"It's me, Bobby." Bobby answered from the other side. "I want to see how Amara's doing."

"Bobby?" Tabitha muttered as she realized he was just what she needed. It only took a few minutes for her to convince Bobby to take them to the nearby island; it took even shorter for Bobby to make a boat out of ice as he used a paddle he constructed to row them over there.

San Sebastian Island was a much quieter community than the one back at Bayville the three lovers had discovered. After landing on the shore, they walked over the rest of the way while watching everyone else go about their business and occasionally peeking at the local stands nearby.

The three admired the peaceful atmosphere as Wanda was taking a couple of photos before Danny noticed a stand with some brochures, one of them a volcano. For a moment he imagined himself swimming in the nice warm lava that would prevent him from ever feeling cold again.

"You okay?" Rogue noticed he had spaced out a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Danny put the photo back. "Just, uh, admiring the beautiful landmarks. Hey, Wanda." He called. "Did you want to take a photo of the volcano? It's active."

"Maybe later." She said before looking over the whole place. "Man, this place is so simple, but so serene. I should move here someday." She joked. "At least here I won't have to worry about running into Pietro or Magneto ever again."

"Not to mention being away from all the headaches on the ship." Rogue pointed out. "No people staring at us, no rich snobs whining about the food, and no X-kids."

Reluctantly, Danny tapped Rogue's shoulder and pointed over to a stand where three familiar mutants were looking at the merchandise. "You might want to correct the last one."

"Oh, come on. Can't a gal get some peace and quiet?" Rogue whined as they went over to confront the three.

"No way!" Tabitha exclaimed to the cashier. "Twenty bucks for a straw hat? I'll give you five, and I expect a box."

Bobby shook his head. "Tabitha, not ag—"

"What the hell are you three doing here?" Rogue demanded as she, Danny, and Wanda appeared next to them.

"Oh, hey, guys?" Bobby chuckled nervously. "Some island, huh?"

Danny rolled his eyes. Perfect. Just perfect. "How did you even get he—You made an ice bridge, didn't you?"

"Boat, actually." The X-Men's Iceman corrected. "And before you get mad, we're on a mission of mercy."

"We had to get Amara to dry land before she freaked." Tabitha told them. "We're taking her up to the hot springs for some healing bubble water. You three want to join us?"

Rogue was about to say that she preferred to be alone with her boyfriend and girlfriend when Danny cut in. "Actually, I'd love to join you guys." He then saw Rogue's look. "What? The hot springs sound relaxing, don't you think?" He then got a bit closer to whisper in her ear. "Not to mention I'm starting to feel a bit chilly."

"Fine." Rogue sighed in defeat. "Let's just hope Storm doesn't notice that the six of us are gone."

"You mean eight." Wanda said as she pointed over to another stand where Kitty and Kurt were. The two turned around and noticed they'd been caught and waved nervously.

The Mississippi girl groaned. "Fine, eight. Let's try not to cause any scenes, please."

"Hey, no problem. What could happen?" Tabitha said, making Danny shake his head at those words.

"Don't say that; you'll only make things worse."

The group had made it to the hot springs without any incidents occurring. Danny, feeling a brief shiver along with having the hairs on his arms standing up, saw the brief trail of steam come from the waters, and like a dying man of thirst who found an oasis, he leaped in as the pleasant heat started to wrap around him. It was being covered in a dozen blankets that had just been pulled out of the dryer with that warm, cozy feel.

"Ah, hot springs. Nature's hot tub." He said as he let himself soak in the waters. Wanda and Rogue stripped down to their bathing suits, dove in, and swam up to their boyfriend.

"Look at his face; has he ever smiled at us like that?" Wanda asked, making Rogue shake her head.

"Nope, he hasn't. Kinda makes a girl feel jealous."

Danny brought both of them into a kiss that dazed them before he splashed them, resulting in the three wrestling in the water. Ignoring the couple's fun, the other X-Men jumped into the hot springs.

"Ah, just the right temperature." Kitty said as the others soon joined in while keeping their distance from the couple.

"That's the stuff." Tabitha sighed in pleasure as Amara started swimming around, feeling at home in the heat.

"Oh, yes. It tingles my fur." Kurt turned off his watch, revealing his blue fur in all its glory. "You sure you don't want any of this, Bobby?" He asked the only one who didn't join them.

"Hey, I'm just here for moral support." Bobby fired a beam of ice, creating himself a chair to sit on. "I don't do hot water."

"Your loss because this feels great." Amara splashed some water on her face. It was like the seasickness she had earlier had never happened.

"Amen to that, Amara." Danny said in agreement before being dunked by Wanda.

Tabitha smiled at seeing her friend in good health. "Do I know what my girl needs or what?"

"Thanks, Tabitha." Amara thanked before diving down to explore. As she passed by a crevice below her, her skin lit on fire as she continued swimming without a care in the world. Though this had a consequence as the water started to heat up.

"Hey, is this water getting hotter? Because I feel like I'm being boiled alive like one of those lobsters." Wanda commented as she saw more steam appear while the water's temperature kept getting higher, causing Rogue to let out an "Ow!" and making her fly out of the water.

The others were doing the same as they climbed back on shore, with Danny being the only one remaining.

"You guys call this hot?" He said, as weirdly enough, he wasn't affected at all. "I can barely feel anything."

"Where's Amara?" Tabitha looked around only to see that her friend was missing.

"She must still be down there. I'll go get her." Danny dived down only to see Amara swimming toward him. "You okay?" He asked her once their heads were above the water.

"We have to get out of here." She warned as the ground started to shake.

"Okay, time to bobsled it." Bobby was about to create an ice slide for them when Danny grabbed him and Kitty.

"No time." He said as he turned ghost and carried the two away. Wanda did the same for Tabitha and Amara, while Rogue, after putting on her gloves, followed with Kurt.

The group headed back down to town where the earthquake reached the people. One stand collapsed on a poor woman, while an electrical line fell on the middle of the road, causing an approaching van to tip over. And to make matters worse, the shaking had caused some boulders near the volcano to come loose. They would've crushed the poor bystanders if Danny hadn't flown in and shot them to pieces with an ecto-blast.

Wanda joined him, throwing hex blasts while Rogue flew up and started punching some of them. The rest of the X-Men also joined in helping the town. Bobby froze a nearly broken wooden pillar, preventing a house from falling on the woman below. Kitty phased the woman who had the stand fall on her out of the rubble while Kurt teleported near a falling couple who fell off a nearby hotel and brought them to safety. Finally, Tabitha made a small ball of energy to break through the van doors as she and Amara rescued the two men trapped inside.

The earthquake finally ceased, and while there were bits of property damage, the important thing was that no one was seriously hurt or killed.

"Is everyone alright?" Danny took a headcount of the students and saw that they were okay. "Good." He then noticed, along with the other X-Men, the peculiar looks and mutterings the people were giving them.

"Uh-oh, busted again." Bobby muttered, thinking this would be just like back on the ship.

"Okay, everyone back off." Danny demanded as he saw the crowd start to surround them. "Yeah, we may be different, but that doesn't mean you can treat us like—"

The crowd immediately started cheering, much to the utter disbelief of the superpowered teens. Instead of cries of "Freaks!" or "Get out!" there were nothing but hollers of gratitude and thanks. All the while, the X-Men looked on, surprised by such positivity.

"Pinch me; I must be dreaming." Danny murmured to himself before letting out a hiss of pain and glared at a smirking Wanda, who said, "You're not dreaming."

"Hey, they don't hate us." Kurt said, smiling brightly.

"Now that's more like it." Bobby grinned as he and Kurt high-fived. The crowd then moved toward them to lift them over their shoulders and carry their heroes. The teens accepted the praise, though when they came toward Rogue, she flew up into the air.

"Back off!" She said a bit too forcefully, causing the crowd to back up, caught off guard by her refusal. "Sorry." She apologized as she landed back down on the ground. "Appreciate the praise and all that, but trust me, you do not want to touch me."

"Sorry about that, everyone." Danny took hold of Rogue and lifted her onto his shoulders. "Carry on." The crowd went back to celebrating as they carried the rest of the X-Men. Rogue couldn't help but laugh at the smile on Kurt's face as he was raised up by the crowd. He deserved it.

The rest of the day eventually became the best vacation the X-Men ever had. For once, instead of being hated and feared, they were accepted and praised for all that they were. Not only that, but they got special treatment after saving the town. One of the people they had saved was the owner of a store for jet skis and allowed them to ride to their heart's content. And it didn't stop there, as they basically became celebrities.

Bobby had girls looking at him lustfully as he used his powers to create a makeshift ice rink. Kurt was showing off his image inducer, switching back and forth between disguises (the best part was that they cheered the loudest when they saw him in his true form). Kitty was swarmed by kids for autographs. Tabitha and Amara were posing for photographs. Danny even flew some people up into the air for rides.

Wanda had the most fun as she dazzled the people with her magic and all of its tricks. Though it seemed that it somewhat got to her head, as she soon started to make bigger and grander performances. She even got her own stage to perform on.

"Welcome, everyone." Wanda announced as she stood before a crowd eager to see her magic. The outfit she wore was a typical magician's uniform; she even had the stereotypical top hat. "For you now stand before Wanda the Marvelous, master of illusions and enigmas." She held her hands out as they glowed with magical energy as she rose above the crowd, who applauded as she returned to the stage.

"Now after that show of flight, I feel it appropriate to counter with a display of strength." She went over to the nearby piano and, before their eyes, lifted it easily with one hand, prompting gasps and cheers.

"Thank you, thank you." The magician said as she made the piano spin while holding it up with one finger as if it were a basketball. The instrument was then pushed further up, where it exploded into a bunch of playing cards that collected themselves in her hand. "Any volunteers?" She asked as she walked out into the audience and held the cards out.

One man took a card, saw that it was the queen of hearts, and placed it back. Wanda then threw the cards over her shoulder and held out her left hand. "Is this your card?" She asked as, in a puff of smoke, the queen of hearts appeared in her hand, making the audience go wild.

Meanwhile in one of Magneto's bases; a certain Cajun noticed one of his cards was missing, the queen of hearts.

"And now for my next trick." She went to reach for her hat only to notice it was missing. Realizing that it fell off, she looked toward the stage where it was lying, and to everyone's delight, a cute little bunny crawled out and off the stage.

"Eh, I'll give the poor little bunny a break." Picking up her hat, she pulled out a wand and waved it over the article of clothing. "For I have much grander plans. My dear ladies and gentlemen, we are about to get a glimpse into the other side, for I will summon a spirit." Putting a hand in, she rummaged a bit before taking hold of something and started to pull it out. "But not just any spirit. My wonderful boyfriend, Danny Pha—"

"Beware!" The head of a rather infamous ghost popped out of the hat only to be shoved back in.

"No, definitely not him." Wanda said, getting a couple of chuckles from the crowd. Rummaging a bit more, she finally found a grip on something. "Ah, here we go. Ladies and gentlemen, I present Danny Phantom." With a big pull, Danny emerged from the hat to the raving crowd.

"Great to have you, darling." Wanda greeted. "Looking as dashing as always." Danny blushed at the forwardness; Wanda had sure come a long way since he had first met her. "Now I just pulled my boyfriend out of a hat, and for my next trick I shall do the opposite." The hat floated behind Danny. "I shall pull a hat out of my boyfriend." She plunged her hand into Danny's chest, where it went right through him and out of his back, where the hat was waiting. Taking hold of the hat, she pulled it back, taking it right through him.

The standing ovation soon came as Wanda reveled in the attention. Danny smiled proudly at his girlfriend before walking backstage; for a moment, his body shivered before he ultimately ignored it, continuing on his way. "And now before I bid you all farewell, I have one last trick." The sound of wheels turning made everyone look to the right as Danny wheeled in a box where, at the end, another goth girl's head was sticking out.

Wanda then pulled out a saw. "I shall saw my girlfriend, the Uncanny Rogue, in half." She proclaimed getting more cheers and Rogue to roll her eyes.

"I can't believe I let her talk me into this."

Back on the ship, Storm had gone to check on Danny, only to see that he was missing. So she went to find Rogue and Wanda to see if they had seen him, only to find them missing as well. Looking for any of the other kids brought the same result. The only one she could find was Jamie, whom she brought along to help search for the missing students.

"I'm sorry." Jamie said, as he finished his search. "They're not anywhere."

"Are you sure you looked all over?" Storm pressed.

Jamie looked around the corner as dozens of his duplicates came over. "Oh, yeah. All over."

Looking out to the sea, she saw the nearby island and finally realized where they were. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me—"

"Thanks again for helping me with the show, you guys." Wanda thanked her boyfriend and girlfriend as they and the rest of the X-Men sat down at a table to eat. "Really appreciate it."

"Anytime." Danny said.

"I'm just surprised you were willing to share the spotlight." Rogue joked good-naturedly.

"Hey, I couldn't help if I soaked in the attention a bit." Wanda admitted. "It felt nice, having all those people cheer my name. They loved me and my powers. They didn't see me as some kind of dangerous mess."

"It really was nice." Rogue agreed. While she still had to keep her distance, she still had people waving and smiling at her while she walked by. It was a nice change of pace compared to the aura of prejudice that was Bayville. "Though I wonder why it is that here everyone loves us, but back home they're all jerks."

"Could be a number of things." Danny thought out loud. "Although it's mostly likely the fact we made a good first impression. First time they saw us, we saved their lives from that earthquake, while back in Bayville they saw us fight the Phoenix along with causing a bit of property damage." For a moment he remembered his mother saying how important first impressions were, with his father replying, "And you still married me anyway."

"Or maybe the people here are just nicer in general than everyone back home." Rogue proposed. "There's always that."

"Whatever the reason, I'm just glad it's happening." Tabitha said, as someone came over to refill her drink. "This is all I've been asking for, to be treated like a queen."

"Oh, yeah. I could really get used to this." Kurt said as he ate while still in human form.

"Why are you still wearing that, Kurt?" Kitty pointed to his watch. "Everyone loves the real you, so why bother keeping up appearances? We're big-time heroes; this is how heroes are supposed to get treated."

Kurt glanced at his watch before smiling brightly. "You're right!" He flipped the switch, letting everyone see the real him before digging in. The rest of the group followed before a sudden shake startled them and everyone else.

"Oh, no. Not again." Wanda looked over to the volcano.

"Eh, it's just an aftershock." Bobby reassured everyone. "Don't sweat it. If that thing acts up again, we can handle it." The heroes went back to eating when Wanda noticed Danny seemed to be picking at his food while sitting a bit stiffly.

"Everything okay, Danny?" She asked only to see his fork freeze as Danny rubbed his arms for warmth.

"I need to get back to the ship. I—the ship!" He slapped his forehead. "Storm! She's gonna be pissed when she finds out. We were only supposed to be gone for a few minutes."

The others all paled; they had all gotten too wrapped up with the earthquake and the celebrations. They were really going to get it this time. Kurt then pointed to the ship where a dark cloud was forming above it. "Looks like we've been found out."

"That thundercloud looks pretty angry." Kitty added.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the island shook again as the volcano finally erupted as bits and pieces of lava burst out and fell onto the island like a rainstorm from hell. People started running for shelter as the lava rained down on them, and if that wasn't bad, a whole pool of the molten rock was slowly coming down. Danny, seeing a stone arch, was about to fire an ecto-blast at it to create a barrier, only for him to start shivering as the cold prevented him from concentrating. Thankfully Wanda was able to pick up his slack by using a hex bolt, but the river of fire continued on its way.

Bobby, seeing another river coming, tried to create an ice wall, but it simply melted. Realizing that they couldn't stop the lava, the X-Men decided to work on damage control as Kitty phased a woman from a falling burning tree, while Kurt teleported a man off a collapsing dock.

They were soon gathering everyone as they formed a wall between the people and the approaching lava when Amara looked at the mountain and, feeling some kind of connection to it, was about to walk forward when Rogue grabbed her.

"What are you doing?"

"In the hot springs there was a fissure. And when I touched it, I awoke it somehow, and the whole mountain and I are connected. If I made it act up, then I could reverse it. You need to let me go and stop it."

Before Rogue could think on the idea, the two felt a cool breeze, and looking back, they noticed Danny on the ground, his ghostly aura glowing a cold blue along with his eyes. Ice was forming on the ground where he was kneeling. His entire body was starting to freeze over. There were even icicles hanging off of his hair. Just when Rogue was about to go check on him, a fissure opened up near him, and as a bit of lava started to come out, it immediately cooled into stone.

Seeing this, Danny instantly came up with an idea. Moving over to the approaching rivers, he stuck his hands in them, and the molten rock started to cool and harden, creating a trail of stone.

"Whoa!" Bobby said in admiration. "Not even I'm that cool."

Gazing at the volcano, Danny could still see more lava start to slowly make its way down. "We still have a lot of work to do."

"Danny!" Rogue went up to him with Wanda and Amara. "Are you okay?" The girls had to stay back a bit as they felt they would get frozen solid if they moved any closer.

"Not really, this thing inside me, it's been building up, and I don't think it'll go away that easily. Not only that, but if I don't stop it soon, there's a chance this place will be forced to go through a new ice age. I need something really hot." His eyes darted over to the volcano. "And I think I got an idea." He muttered quietly to himself.

"Don't even think about it!" Rogue yelled, catching on to Danny's thinking.

"Think about what?" Wanda came over to see what the commotion was.

"This idiot here is thinking about jumping into a volcano." Rogue answered, making Wanda look at Danny in shock.

"What?! Are you crazy?!"

"You got any better ideas?" Danny argued.

"Yes, let Amara use her powers to stop it." Rogue shot back. "Let her save the day instead of jumping into a volcano like some darn fool."

"I can do it!" Amara stated. "Just let me go up to it, and all of this will stop. Please, Danny, I know what I'm doing."

"I know, Amara, but if we do things my way, we'll kill two birds with one stone." Danny explained. "If I take a lava bath, the cold will cool the lava, and the lava will get rid of this." He gestured to his pale skin. "They'll cancel each other out and save us all. Not only does that volcano need to be stopped, but so do I, or else you all might be frozen to death." He looked at his girlfriends. "I'll come back, I promise." He then flew off as Wanda and Rogue chased after him.

"Danny!"

"Come back here!"

However, the half-ghost paid them no mind as he found himself standing in front of the crater where all the lava was coming from. He could still hear their shouts, but they did nothing to stop him. He then jumped off the edge like he was on a diving board and plunged right into the lava. Instead of being incinerated, it was like jumping into a hot tub, as the steam, instead of boiling his skin, soothed him.

Rogue and Wanda were in hysterics as they saw their boyfriend jump into an active volcano. Just as they were about to burst into tears, the volcano shook, and, in a relieving sight, all the lava across the island cooled while the smoke cleared. Any fires that had been created had been put out thanks to the rain Storm brought.

"Is he?" Wanda looked to Rogue, hoping that it wasn't true.

"I...I—" The volcano shook again as a blue beam shot out of it. "What the?" Rogue then saw as ice started to form around the edge of the volcano as it slowly made its way down. The sky then turned white as snow started falling.

"Snow?" Wanda said in disbelief.

"It's Danny." Rogue realized. "He was wrong; all the cold energy he let out wasn't enough for a volcano to stop."

The two felt the cold pierce their skin as their breaths became visible. A blizzard was starting to form, and if it wasn't stopped, then they would all be done for. The force of the wind was so strong that the two couldn't stay in the air, and so they were forced to fly back down where the others were. Storm, standing in front of her students, held out her hands with glowing white eyes as she tried with all her might to make the storm cease.

"It's too strong." Storm cried. "I-I can't do it alone."

All the students looked at each other. The snow was starting to pile on pretty heavily; it was almost up to their knees. The villagers were all trying to huddle for warmth as they saw their island become an icy disaster.

"Is this the end?" Kurt asked the obvious question that they were all thinking.

"I disagree." A new voice chimed in. Everyone, with the exception of Storm, turned around, and before their eyes was a group of fearsome-looking yetis towering over them.

"What are those things?" Bobby asked in shock at the scary-looking beings.

Rogue smiled in relief, recognizing them. "Ghosts. And friendly ones to boot."

One of the yetis stepped forward. What made him stand out was that his left arm was nothing but bone, though the bone was covered in ice. He gave them a sincere smile. "Fear not, young ones. The residents of the Far Frozen are masters of the cold. He, along with the rest of his tribe, raised their hands as they glowed cyan. On command the snow stopped falling; any that was on the ground faded (not melted) away as the sky became blue once more. The beam firing out of the volcano finally extinguished itself, leaving no trace that the blizzard ever happened.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief now that the danger was finally over before Wanda and Rogue let out a cry of, "Danny!" and sped their way over to the volcano. Landing on the edge, they peered down, and much to their sorrow, there was no sign of the phantom, only dull rocks.

"You don't think?" Wanda uttered as tears started to form in their eyes.

"Rogue, Wanda, where's Danny?" Storm asked as she and the rest of the Far Frozen arrived. Rogue simply pointed to the empty volcano, making the weather witch frown. "No."

They all lowered their heads in respect when the sound of someone punching a rock entered their ears. Looking down, they all cheered as they saw Danny pulling himself out of the rocks.

Rogue and Wanda immediately raced down to greet Danny, who smiled. "I told you it would work." He said only to get smacked by Rogue and then Wanda.

"Don't you ever do that again." Rogue threatened.

"Hey, I was right." Danny defended, only to get another smack from Wanda.

"The second you put out that volcano, we were stuck in a blizzard that would've buried us if it weren't for those guys." Wanda pointed over to the yetis, who made their way over to Danny.

"Oh, hey, I recognize one of you guys." He said remembering the one he encountered back on that mountain. He offered a handshake, but the yetis all got into kneeling positions with their heads bowed.

"It is an honor to meet the savior of the Ghost Zone. Oh, Great One, behold your humble servant Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen."

"Uh, thanks." Danny laughed nervously. In his career he never really came across that many ghosts who were friendly to him, much less bowed to him, so this was a nice change of pace. "So you were the guys who stopped me from freezing everything?"

Frostbite stood up. "Indeed and I can see Icetooth wasn't making up stories when he told me that he sensed the cold that exists inside you. It appears you are a spirit of ice just like the rest of us."

"A spirit of ice?"

"Yes. All of this may be new to you, but rest assured it is an ability very familiar to my people. We are quite well trained in its use." As a demonstration, he allowed a sword of ice to form in his hand.

"Whoa! That is awesome!" Bobby cheered as he and the other X-Men had arrived a couple of minutes ago and were in awe of the ghosts. "Look, I can do that too." Bobby made a sword as well, impressing Frostbite.

"Extraordinary." He breathed. "I never thought mortals had advanced so far to call upon the elements. Perhaps the Great One is best left in your hands."

Bobby smirked. "How about it, Danny? I can teach you everything I know and then some."

"I'll stick with the six-foot yeti if you don't mind." Danny snarked in a deadpan voice before turning back to Frostbite. "If you'll have me."

The giant ghost let out a smile that reminded everyone of Hank. "Of course. It would be an honor to train the Great One. I suggest we begin now; the sooner, the better."

"By the way, how did you know we needed help?" Rogue wondered. "And how did you guys get here?"

"It appears someone on your side left a door open for us." Frostbite pulled out Wanda's magic hand, prompting everyone to look at her.

"Hehehe." Wanda let out nervously at the look Rogue was giving her before brushing it off. "Hey, if it weren't for the hat, we'd all be frozen. So that means you can't be mad at me."

"Anyway, it looks like I'll have to cut this vacation short." Danny said to his girls. "Unless you two want to come along. You didn't happen to pack jackets, did you?"

Humming to the tune of Mr. Blue Sky, Wanda made her way over to where Rogue was sitting in the arena, scooching past many of the ghosts who were seated to watch Danny train. Reaching her girlfriend, she sat down next to Rogue, who was munching on a chicken leg.

"Hot cocoa?" Wanda offered one of the two mugs she held in her hands.

"Thanks." Rogue took the hot drink. "It's a good change of pace not being the only one who was to cover themselves up in heavy clothing." She said, referring to the heavy jackets they'd been provided with.

"And despite how frightening these guys appear, they're very polite and respectful." Wanda supplied.

"You got that right, sugar. I'll take these giant snow monsters over the people back home any day." Rogue agreed, as the ghosts, despite their fearsome appearances, were very civilized and polite. It also helped that they were the "Mates of the Great One."

Wanda then put on a foam finger and cheered for her boyfriend. "You got this, Danny!"

"Where'd you get that?" Rogue queried.

"Would you believe they got a gift shop here?" Wanda went back to cheering with several residents of the Far Frozen joining in.

"This will be a good laugh." One of the residents sitting next to Wanda said.

"Laugh?" Wanda asked. "What, are you hoping for him to mess up?"

"Naturally." The yeti confirmed. "We live in a frozen wasteland. We take our comedy where we can get it."

"Fair enough." Wanda couldn't help but say before they all turned their attention to Danny. He and Frostbite were standing a few feet away from some wooden targets. Frostbite aimed his paws at said targets, and everyone watched as icicles came out and impaled them in the center, prompting cheers from the crowd. Frostbite then gestured for Danny to do the same.

Gathering the cold up into his hands, he took aim and fired the same type of icicles, only for them to miss their targets and fire into the crowd, making everyone else flinch.

"Oof, that's gotta hurt." Wanda said sympathetically.

"Let's hope that we won't be banned from here after all of this is over." Rogue muttered.