8/6 Game: Witch Hunt

[puppygirl]

Wednesday, March 19th

Pietro sat hunched over his desk, scribbling away in his sketchbook while he waited for the class to start. The pages, as always, were filling rapidly. It was like watching a computer printer work.

And across from him, Eddie did the same. Only his picture was probably more violent. And probably less so about the guy he was sitting across from. He sighed, looking at the image of him and Pietro going at it. "Well, that's just thuggish...", Eddie told his subconcious vocally.

Pietro glanced up at the sound of Eddie's voice... when did he get there? Oh well... back to drawing.

Raven swept into the class, ignoring her peers before taking (unusually for her) a seat right at the front, smoothing her skirt as she awaited the teachers arrival.

Rose flounced into the classroom and looked between the two boys. She knew the white headed one was taken, so she plopped down next to the cuter one. "Hey Eddie."

Eddie watched Raven walk down the aisle and jumped at Rose. "O-oh! Hey. Y'alright?", he smiled.

Selene reclined in her chair, legs crossed, and carefully sliced an apple into bite-sized pieces with a small knife. "So who else thinks that a special ethics class has the potential for hilarity," she asked no one in particular.

Rose grinned back "Yes. Just excited for another fun filled day in class. Oh I do, Selene!" Rose waved to her.

Pietro looked round at Selene, eyed the knife and decided to keep quiet. If he didn't draw attention to himself maybe she'd just leave him alone and not get all stabby...

"Oh hey, look who's aiming to be the straight A student today," Selene remarked, a smirk on her lips as she looked up at Raven. "Hey there, Rose!"

"It has the potential for something I'd say," Ronnie said, half glancing over her shoulder, "why are you even hear anyway, arn't you a graduate?"

Eddie smirked at Selene's comment, not just at the joke, but also at the fact it felt like Selene was backing up his own shiftyness about Raven. "Pft. SO not getting involved.", he turned his notepad to another page and started another scrawling. "Used that DR setting yet?", Eddie asked Rose.

"We're debating ethics regarding murder, violence, and revenge," Selene replied, holding out her hands. "Where else should I be?"

"... Of course," oh this was going to be so easy ...

Pietro frowned and closed his sketchbook, too many people to carry on with his particular set of drawings now. He'd finish it later. Instead, he picked up his note book and looked through the list of things he still needed to finalise for the wedding.

"While I technically may not be a student any more, doesn't mean I have nothing of value to add." Selene cracked a quick grin, before popping a slice of apple into her mouth. "Maybe you'll learn something from me."

Rose nodded. "Yes, can you tell?" She grinned at Eddie. "What are you working on?" She tried to see Eddie's drawing.

"Oh, GOD. Nothing.", he blurted in reply in three short bursts. "T-the other one, I mean. This is...just doodling."

Ororo sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Late. She hated being late for her own classes, it was so unprofessional. "Alright settle down, settle down," she called as she walked through the door, heading up the aisle between the desks to her desk.

Rose patted Eddie a bit awkwardly. So jumpy! She glanced at the professor and settled into her seat.

Eddie smirked. "Haha, it's 'Storm the Maelstrom-Monroe'!", he did a little thumbs up.

Pietro rolled his eyes and put his list away after ticking a couple of things off. He laced his fingers together on the tabletop and surveyed the Professor with polite interest.

"Good day, Professor Munroe," Selene said, her voice unusually cheerful. "May I say you look marvelous today."

"Afternoon, ma'am," Ronnie said, checking her watch.

Ororo raised an eyebrow at Eddie, shook herself and then looked at Selene, "... Thank you." These kids were wierder than ever lately.

She managed to pull herself together and took a deep breath. "Right. So. As I'm sure you're all aware there have been a lot of things going on lately that haven't been very nice. So today I thought we'd just have a bit of a discussion about how we all feel about it."

Eddie raised his hand, "I like to think 'upset' covers most thoughts? Or at least acts as a...large...blanket-statement?"

A frown creased Pietro's brow. Was this just a not so cleverly disguised counselling session?

"Hasn't been very nice is an understatement... they killed a kid! One of us! Only younger." Rose tapped her fingers on the desk.

Ororo nodded to Eddie's comment, "Yes it works as a blanket statement but you can be 'upset' in many different ways." She looked at Rose, "This is a prime example of the angry side of upset."

"I mean they could have taken any one of us. ANY ONE OF US could be dead right now because of them."

A shiny silver head with deep red hair poked through a gap in the door. "Oh, you just started? So I'm not way late? Marvelous!" Cessily put on a wide smile. "Hey, 'Ro, would you mind me coming in? Don't worry, I don't plan to hijack your class."

Eddie glanced at Rose. "Hey, hey, it's alright, buttercup...", he whispered gently, reaching for her hand.

"Ooh, hey!", Eddie smirked over Rose's shoulder.

"Oh no, you're quite alright," Ororo smiled at Cessily, "I was a little late myself. Take a seat."

Ronnie shruged, "Kids are murdered every day, mutant kids, just as horribly, I fail to see why this should effect anyone as much as it is," she said apathetically.

Pietro turned and gave Cessily a smile and a wave.

"Because some of us have souls.", Eddie muttered under his breath.

"It's always worse when you know the person killed..." Pietro said quietly to Raven's comment.

"Thanks!" Cessily beamed the Professor a grin and slipped into the room, taking a seat in the back. "Xavier and I thought it would be good if one of us were here to... you know, watch... and give advice, perhaps." She pulled out a notebook and a pencil.

"So because you got attached to this kid it makes this killing worse than all the others?"

Pietro shook his head, "No, that's not what I mean. I mean it just affects you more when you've met the person. They're no longer faceless..."

Ororo leaned against her desk and listened, letting the kids get their own feelings out without interruption. If things got out of hand... she'd deal with it.

"O-k, that's a weeny bit of a stretch...", Eddie carefully nudged Rose. "It's the same with all things: people register them on some level, but not until it's right in front of them..."

"One death is a tragedy, a thousand deaths a statistic, as they say," Selene remarked, enjoying another slice of apple.

Pietro nodded at Selene, "Exactly."

"Offt: quoth Marlyin Manson in an Ethics class. Totally hardcore.", Eddie smirked.

.... Wow. He'd just agreed with Selene. He looked out of the window for signs of armageddon.

"Nothing has ever gotten people as riled up as this before, so much that they'd do an idiotic revenge killing."

"Sure it has! Jews with ex-Nazi officers, rapists, it happens all the time.", Eddie shrugged, trying to keep himself in a relatively good mood by detatching himself from the emotions.

"That's hardly surprising, considering it basically happened right in their front yard," Selene commented.

"I was talking about the mutant community."

"Someone finally drew a line though.", Eddie added, leaning on the desk. "I think...it's understandable."

"Oh, you're condoning the killing then, hero?"

"Yes. Obviously.", Eddie facepalmed. "I'm saying that I understand the motivation and...", he trailed off for a moment. "...no, that's it."

"And while it's true that terrible and unspeakable things happen every minute on this planet, our mind is quite good at tuning it out unless it affects us personally," she added. "That may seem heartless, but it's also keeping us sane in a world that is certainly anything but sane."

"Of course you are, dear, of course," Ronnie gave him a wary look.

Cessily looked back and forth between the classroom and her sketchbook, quickly scribbling onto the blank paper.

Rose gave Eddie a smile. He was ok.

Pietro was worrying for his own sanity because Selene was actually making sense to him.

Damnit! Fucking Ronnie and her making him uncomfortable and sweaty in social situations!

"Just for the record, I don't condone the killing," Selene tossed in, holding up the hand that held her knife. "Generally, I never do."

"At the same time, although I don't like violence, I still use it.", Eddie looked to Selene, "Yeah, same here. But I can see why someone would do it regardless."

"I mean, just the other day I punched this guy so hard his jaw broke.", Eddie reminised. "He WAS trying to shoot a cashier though."

Ororo picked up a notebook and a pen, writing down a few thoughts about the students' reactions.

Pietro looked round at Eddie, eyebrow raised. "Did you take him to the hospital afterwards?"

"It was just a foolish thing to do, if you ask me." Selene shrugged and cut off another slice of fruit. "Murder has to be the most bland and uninspired form of revenge anyone can think of. Seriously, it's the vengeance of choice for the creatively impaired."

"So if you would punch a guy, would you kill him for killing somebody you knew?"

"Pft, obviously!", Eddie laughed at Pietro. "I'm a superhero, not a vigilante.", he looked at Rose. "Not a road I wanna go down right now.", he whispered.

Ah now Selene was starting to sound like her usual psychotic self. All was right with the world again.


Ronnie gave Eddie some more of the side eye, "That's not the same as a straigh no, you seem evasive, Edward."

"Well, it's a sensitive subject!", Eddie sighed, "You were...some of you were there back when I first became an X-er. Recall when I was that naive? When I tried to go off and kill that Kraven guy?"

"I grew up.", Eddie stated. "I won't pretend the urge wasn't there to seek revenge, that'd be a lie, but the sensibility to know it's better if you don't IS there."

Pietro's expression darkened. Kraven. Now there was a guy that deserved it.

"So you say," she caught Pietro's expression, "Oh, agree with him there, absentee?"

"Theoretically, there may be a situation where killing is warranted, specifically to save another life when no other option presents itself," Selene said. "Fortunately, our options rarely if ever are that limited, thanks to the abilities at our disposal."

"Death's too good for Kraven." His voice was completely devoid of emotion.

"See, that's the right spirit," Selene announced and pointed her knife at Pietro.

"See? There's that 'human capacity for evil' right there.", Eddie pointed at Pietro. "You have to master these feelings to be a functioning member of society..."

"Sounds like some of you have thought of this way too much."

'We agree...', Eddie smirked to himself. "Of course you do.", he mumbled to himself.

"Is that so?" She looked between the three, then at the notes that the teachers were taking and had to repress a smirk, they were implicating themselves pratically!

Pietro's eyebrows went up as Selene pointed at him and he subconsciously moved his chair away from her a little. "Master these feelings?" he repeated to Eddie, "You live through that and try it."

"What does killing accomplish except for granting you that fleeting sense of satisfaction?" Selene shrugged, a faint smirk playing across her lips. "Death ends suffering - that's not the point of revenge, is it?"

"I remember Kraven, if you say death is too good for him, then surely the man behind the murder of a child that you knew is in the same boat as far as you're concerned?"

"There are worse things you can do to someone than kill them, Ronnie."

Glancing up, Cessily wore a slight frown on her face as she gave Selene a curious look, before watching the others in turn. She took some more notes.

"Gee, having your best friend explode is something you get over easilly(!)", Eddie sighed. Looking at Raven: that was curious, she was being more of a bitch than usual - and not to Eddie, which made it awkward. "You know, according to you, you're the only person who concievably has no issue with any of this."

"I'm curious as to why, 'darling'."

"Yes thank you Eddie, I was there. I know what happened. In case it escaped your memory, a lot of things happened before that."

"Shit happens, I never met the child in question, I'm sure it's very sad but you all know I don't do attachment, why should I care when I've never cared before?" And the truth was that she didn't care about the stupid brat that got himself gutted, as far as she was concerned the Brotherhood was just a stepping stone on the way to domination.

'We don't like Pietro...'. 'No, we do not'. Eddie nodded ar Raven's words. "...cold bitch. But not a liar, I suppose, so I guess that's a fair comment."

"When have I ever been anything but?"

"Touche.", he smirked back. Damn, why did he still find that attractive?

Rose watched her classmates carefully, taking inventory of them.

"I certainly would have had a few intriguing ideas in mind concerning what to do with him, had I gotten my hands on this bastard before his murderer did," Selene remarked, casually inspecting the bracelet on her wrist. "There certainly is no need to deny that."

Pietro fell into a broody silence. He really didn't want to be thinking about all of that today. He had enough on his mind already.

"Speaking of Kraven and similar, lovely subjects of dissection, have the police or faculty spoken to you yet, Pietro, on this matter?"

Ororo gave Selene a wary look. She worried about that one.

"I thought the police spoke to everyone at the park?" Pietro replied vaguely.

Eddie carried on with his scrawling of Venom, on his knees between dark, looming shadows of baddies and his new character, 'Arcana' and her betrothed, the 'Silver Prince'. He sighed. What a life he had(!)

"But with your some what checkered history, with kidnappings and horrid things happening to the victims, they'd want to 'eliminate' you from thier list of suspects ... though you're never around are you? You're a hard man to keep track off ..." she let it hang there.

"My door is always open for everyone who might feel the need to talk about anything on his or her mind, especially regarding the terrible things that happened," Cessily pointed out from her place, looking around the room with a small smile on her face. "However, we're not forcing counselling on anyone."

Pietro turned his gaze fully to Ronnie, "Just what exactly are you trying to imply?"

Rose tapped her finger against her cheek. "You know... you're so fast Pietro, you could easily do something and not get caught."

"Imply? I'm not implying anything, just saying what with your living off campus and, as Rose said, your speed, I'm suprised no one wanted to speak to you."

"Ok, let's just...stop berating 'Peter'.", Eddie smirked, trying to keep the peace. Yeah, he didn't like him at the moment, but...well, this was just wild speculation, right?

"And concerning any other insinuations, it's official school policy that no member of the student body or staff is suspected to be involved with these events in any way," Cessily added. "Just to make that clear, okay?"

"The police spoke to everyone at the park." Pietro repeated evenly.

.... Oh how naive they were being.

"Why, you already picked your suspects?" Selene commented, shooting a suggestive smirk in Cessily's direction.

"But did they speak to you?"

Ororo frowned and shot a glance at Cessily.

"Everyone implies I was included."

"Just because it's school policy doens't mean the police are standing by that policy."

"A'ight, screw it, let's pick on Pietro, sure...", Eddie shrugged, sinking back behind his notebook and continuing the drawing. He so did not wanna be there when Pietro started yelling - especially not with everything going on involving Eddie himself.

"That's a very strange answer to a simple yes or no question," Ronnie remarked.

"This is true, and we have offered the police our full cooperation, but that doesn't change the fact that we'll consider anyone at this school innocent unless overwhelming evidence might force us to reconsider," Cessily explained.

"Because I fail to see the need to repeat myself over and over." Pietro replied to Ronnie.

"Oh, come on, from one under-payed post-grad intern to another, you know that's simply not true," Selene told Cessily and chuckled.

"Evidence like access to the crime scene? Ability to pull off the act? Motivation?"

"Everyone had access to the crimescene. Everyone had motivation." Pietro rolled his eyes.

Eddie turned to Rose again, "Aaah, come on. By rights anyone could have: hell, you have fire powers, you could have been there."

"Hey, Pietro! We totally crossed streams!", Eddie joked.

"Like, you know, because you agreed with me a-....never mind."

"But could everyone have gone and killed that guy and been back and never been missed? Hmmmm..."

"Your lawyer tell you to say that?" Ronnie smirked, "Lighten up, you're awfully defensive about this, and speaking of access," she turned to Selene, "a little bird told me that your fiance was able to get access to both crime scenes, given he has not telepathic abilities, perhaps you'd care to enlighten us as too how?"

"Oh yes pardon me for being defensive after basically being accused of murder...."

"He's sexier than you.", Eddie smirked at Raven. Although that fact had baffled him, too....

"Mutants with super-speed undoubtedly can pull off a lot of questionable things in a short span of time," Selene pointed out.

"I accused you of nothing," Ronnie said, "you're just being defensive, though can't say I blame you after your father's activities, which can also be applied to Darren, can it not? I understand his father lead an attack on the school and mind controlled several of the students? Perhaps the apple didn't fall too far from the tree?"

"Hey, my fiance not only managed to talk his way into my bedroom, he even got me to agree to his proposal," Selene replied. "You can't say he's not persuasive." She smirked, seeing no reason why anyone else needed to hear about Darren's connections.

"Leave my father out of this." Pietro ground out.

"That's not a real answer, Selene," Ronnie said smoothly.

Ororo moved over to where Cessily was sat and crouched beside her, muttering: "If they start throwing furniture as well as accusations we should intervene... for now I think this is healthy..."

"And I also heard you vanished during the ralley, and that no one could contact you during that time, you have to admit that combined with your fiance's previous and current activities that is suspicious?"

Shi-it, this was getting heated. Eddie overheard probably more than he was comfortable with at the moment; anybody in this room could be one of these 'Brotherhood' people! E-except Cess and Ororo, who obviously were staff here for a reason. Maybe some kind of widespread mind-read would be neccesary? Eddie pondered the ideas as he doodled.

"You have no reason to expect a real answer from me when you voice not-so-hidden accusations towards my fiance," Selene replied. "Whom I know for a considerable longer time than most people at this place. And considering my habit of regarding anyone as potentially suspicious, the fact that I trust him should put anyone at ease."

"Unless you were involved too and are covering it up."

Pietro looked between the others, "Now come on, Selene just spent the better part of this lesson telling us how she'd rather have tortured the guy..."

"And that's better is it?"

"Suspicious? Certainly." Selene shrugged casually. "However, I already pointed out that I consider killing beneath my potential. Believe me, this person would not have gotten away that easily had I really been involved."

Where was JP when Eddie needed him!? This would all have to be relayed to him also, and to Danger as soon as he'd set up his suite. Damn, there was so much to do! And Illyana...Eddie's pen snapped in his hand. "Oh. Look at that. Bugger.", he put it on the table and found himself a new one.

"Well it rules out the killing part...."

"That defense would not stand up in court, Selene."

"Sure it would - she could plead insanity...." Pietro muttered.

"Oh, fa-fa-fa...", Eddie mocked Raven under his breath.

Cessily nodded. "Yes, it might beneficial for them to let it all out and voice what is on their mind," she told Ororo. "Maybe in the end they will realize that all their doubts and suspicions will have been baseless and be wiser for it."

"Selene we all know you are crazy enough to have helped. Who is to say you didn't torture him before you killed him. Though I think being stuck through a meat hook is torture enough..."

"That's not especially imaginative though..." Pietro added conversationally, "I'd expect better of Selene."

"Maybe that's the point. To throw you off."

"Unless, hypothetically speaking, she wanted to throw people off the scent," Ronnie pointed out.

"Because killing cancels out the opportunity for life-long suffering," Selene pointed out, sounding somewhat impatient already. "Should I ever feel the need to take revenge, believe me when I say that I would do it properly."

"Oh I believe you, Selene." Pietro nodded emphatically, "I have absolutely no doubt in your ability to make people suffer."

Ronnie rolled her eyes, inwardly gleeing, "You people are unbelievable," she then gave Pietro and Selene the side-eye.

"Thank you, Pietro." Holding out her hands, she smiled at the rest of class. "I'm always willing to give demonstrations to convince any doubters."

Pietro was so very glad he wasn't one of the doubters.

"Did she just threaten to torture the rest of the class," Cessily asked Ororo under her breath, leaning close while keeping her eyes on the students.

"I think only if they volunteer...." Ororo replied with a slightly confused frown. "She's an odd one..."

"For some reason, I'm very glad that niether of you are in the dorms."

"You'd feel threatened if I was? Even though, as you said already, I can cover the distance between here and my home in no time at all..."

Eddie finished his drawing, flipping to another page and starting another, fighting the urge to say 'SO! Guys: who's a bad guy?'

"Does that mean I'm not getting invited to a sleep-over," Selene asked, smiling sweetly at Ronnie. "I'm sure I can find your door even in the dark."

Ronnie gave fearful looks between the two, "You are not filling me with confidence in your innocence."

"What's the point? You already seem to have made up your mind to the contrary..."

"...is that an admission of guilt?!" Rose edged a bit closer to Eddie.

"I haven't made up my mind to anything yet, simply stating things as I see them, you're the one getting all defensive, I think you protest too much," she edged away from the two.

Ha! Was Raven seriously trying for the 'innocent' look? Eddie almost laughed, that was a little too suspicious, since he knew her so well. He suddnely noticed Rose leaning closer and jumped a little. "Oh, hey you...don't be scared of the 'evul little snow monster'."

"No." Pietro replied firmly, "I'm just bored of this conversation. I fail to see why I should defend my actions when there is nothing remotely 'shifty' to find."

Piss off Pietro and steal his girlfriend. Trully, Eddie was a genius tactitian. Internally, he bit his ass to save Karma the trouble.

"Says you, your actions and attitude seem pretty damn 'shifty' from where we're standing," she silently urged Rose to back her up.

Rose actually laughed at Eddie and relaxed. "You're cute." she whispered to him.

"Totally shifty." Rose piped up.

Eddie blushed, "And you're beautiful, as long as we're stating fact.", he smiled back in a low voice. 'Haha, still got it.'

He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, "If you say so..." he said through a sigh.

"I'm sure you would make Creed and his goons feel proud of their work," Selene said. "After all, here we are, accusing each other of murdering a waste of space, while they accomplished their goal to make everyone else see us as violent and dangerous."

Rose just grinned at Eddie. She scribbled a note onto a slip of paper and passed it to him with a wink.

"So you're on a first name basis with the FoH..."

"No, the idiots responcible for this did that, I for one would just like to be sure that I'm not under the same roof as those idiots."

"Hey, I stole the guy's girlfriend," Selene pointed out with a chuckle. "We're old friends, after all."

"Well, Ronnie, to use your own reasoning about my super-speed - if I was responsible for this, why would I have stopped at one?"

"Yeah.... that's a good point. I don't want to live with maniacs either!"

Eddie was a little caught up with the note: he inspected it and blushed a little more, smirki-... 'Wait, no. Come on, after all this over Illy?'

'We could go anyway.'. Eddie sighed. What the hell, checking it out couldn't hurt.

"Listen, in the end it doesn't matter who killed that fool," Selene said and sat up in her chair. "It could have been someone from Nova's school, who have much more reason to avenge Sammy's death than anyone at this place, or one of the many fans we gained on the Internet who takes pro-mutant activism a little too seriously."

"I thought they were all little kids over there.", Eddie blinked, stowwing the note. "Shi-it, it'd be like 'Gremlins'."

"In the end, it happened the damage has been done." She shrugged. "I hate to be voice of reason, but we should focus on the future on how to salvage our reputation. No matter what happened, I suggest we spin it as the FoH's doing, who threw one of their own to the wolves only to frame us."

"I think that's highly likely..." and there he was, agreeing with Selene again.

"Hey, hang about! I wanna accuse Christopher because he's a jerk.", Eddie waved. "...no? No more accusations? Aaah, ok."

"Seems like we're on the same wavelength today," Selene pointed out, glancing sideways to give Pietro a smirk. "Maybe we're meant for each other, after all. Think we should swap fiances before either of us gets married?"

Pietro raised an eyebrow at Selene and looked her over, "... No, you're alright. I think you'd be a bit of a handful."

Eddie winced a little at the thought of Pietro getting married. Goddamnit, why couldn't Pietro be dating someone like Greer? Actually, that in itself was a hilarious thought. Eddie chuckled.

Rose tried to take another peek at what Eddie was working on, but couldn't see. She pouted a bit and looked at her fellow classmates. Were they really this dense that they trust each other so much?

Ororo glanced at Cessily, "I think the discussion seems to have worn itself out..."

"And I'm kinda grateful for that," Cessily replied. "I was worried they might start throwing things..."

Ororo nodded, "Mmm..." she straightened up again, "Alright... well... that was enlightening..."

Eddie turned to the Professor. "'Enlightening'? That's the word we're using? Ok."

"You can use any word you like. I am using that one." Ororo replied diplomatically.

"I certainly found it enlightening, I'll be locking my doors before bed," Ronnie murmured.

"Good plan." Rose nodded.

"Maybe not enlightening for everyone to an equal degree," Cessily remarked, tapping her pencil on the notebook, already sporting several pages of notes and a quick sketch of Professor Munroe.

She moved towards the front of the class again, "Now, for the sake of preserving the peace in the building, I would suggest we refrain from blaming each other further and focus on ways to help the police with their investigations constructively."

"I thought offering up likely culprits was helping."

Pietro felt like teasing Ronnie further by pointing out that a door wouldn't keep him out but decided to let it go for now. He picked up his sketchbook which had fallen open as it leaned against the table.

"Agreed.", Eddie gave Raven a blank look. "Something in the Bible about 'snakes' and 'dwelling amongst man'...", he agreed with Rose, with a joking smile.

"Speculating without evidence to back it up is not helpful, it is dangerous." Ororo told Rose.

"That's what I've been saying," Selene remarked. "We should concentrate on how to find the real culprits. Even though some people seem to be more worried that I might watch them sleep, or that my boyfriend wants to eat their brains again."

"...you watch people sleep?" Rose looked back at Selene.

Eddie closed his notebook. "Bottom line, I think we're cool!", he chimed in between them.

Ronnie groaned and pointed her finget between herself and Rose, "Will you people listen to yourselves? Are we the only sane ones in the room?" She protested.

Ororo gave a weary sigh. These children were so easily distracted.

"It's a sign of affection," Selene told Rose and gave her a sweet smile.

"Selene will never fit into the sane category, you're fighting a losing battle there..."

"I don't think any of you will! I wonder if it's too late to transfer to Nova's school?" Ronnie slouched in her chair.

"No one would miss you if you did...." Pietro muttered under his breath.

Eddie watched Raven some more. Was she genuinely on edge there? God, he was too suspicious. Or WAS he? "...fffFFFFF-", he sighed under his breath. "Right, I need to shoot: is class over?"

"Oh, you know you don't really want to consider that step," Selene remarked and chuckled at Ronnie. "Don't forget they have children at that place. Perhaps even with sticky hands and runny noses."

"That doesn't reassure me, at all ..."

"Though I echo Eddie's question, I'm uncomfortable here, can we go yet?"

Ororo decided to give it up as a bad job, "Yes I suppose so... but before you all disappear, remember that it does no good to start accusing each other. You will divide the school at a time when we should stand together. Innocent until proven guilty. That's how it works."

Rose made a face. "Children leak."

Cessily nodded and gave the students a kind smile. "I fully agree with what Oro... Professor Munroe just said," she added. "Also, please keep in mind that I'm always available should anyone wish to talk in private, yes?"

Eddie stood, "And away I pop! Always a pleasure, guys.", he gave them all a lazy salute and packed his bag, starting for the window and then deviating for the door. He didn't really feel like climbing through it again. "Maybe see you later, Miss Kincaid.", Eddie winked at Cess as he left.

Christ knew he might need it.

"Take care, everyone," Cessily smiled and waved at the students.

Pietro gathered up his things and put them in his bag, getting to his feet wordlessly. He walked slowly towards the door, a frown on his face as his brain filled with things he'd rather not be thinking about again.

Rose gathered up her things and headed out too. What a bunch of nutters!

Ronnie made her way out, slowly, so that she might grab Rose as they left, they had a few things to talk about, she'd just had a wicked idea ...

Ororo turned to Cessily as the classroom emptied, "Well... I think I need a drink after that."

"Anyone up for lemon pie and cucumber juice," Selene asked the others as she packed up her things and joined them on the way out.