Ziva stared at Storm where she stood at the front of the room. Her chin rested in her palm and she was certain her eyes were glazed and blank. She knew vaguely that Storm was talking about something that had to do with the ethics of using their powers on humans. Like, when it was ethical.

She hadn't been paying real close attention. Mostly because she didn't care much about when or whether it was ethical to use her powers on non-mutants. After all, they didn't much care if it was ethical to do things like lock her in a cage and put her in a circus freak show. Did they? She barely suppressed a snort at the memory of the time she'd barely escaped those circus losers in Montana when she'd been sixteen. It had been stupid, really, and her own fault. She'd been so hungry she'd believed them when they said they'd take care of her. Believed they didn't care she was a mutant or about her powers and that belief had almost cost her dearly. The only one she could trust to take care of her—was her. And that is exactly what she'd done from that day forward, take care of herself and only herself.

Logan stuck his head inside the classroom and called out to Storm. She sent him a disgruntled look for interrupting the class. When he refused to leave, she moved to the door and they spoke in hushed tones. Storm looked disturbed by whatever it was Logan was telling her, her brows were drawn together and Ziva noticed clouds gathering outside the windows. Yeah, okay pissing off Storm was most definitely not a good idea.

Ziva perked up, if something disturbed Storm it must be serious. She glanced over to Skylar, who was also paying close attention to the conversation going on between the two. When Skylar vanished from her seat, Ziva sat up straighter, frowning, and looking around for her roommate. After another minute or two, Storm turned away from Logan, and Skylar reappeared in her seat, her face pale.

Storm cleared her throat, turning to face the class. "All right, that's enough for today, you're dismissed." After her announcement, she promptly left the room.

Skylar slunk over to stand near the windows, and Ziva followed. Craig grabbed Lenny by a sleeve and hauled him over. The rest of the class was hurrying to gather their things and leave just in case Storm changed her mind and returned, they wanted to escape that possibility.

Ziva arched an eyebrow at Skylar. "What's going on?"

"It looks like Logan received intel from one of their informants there's some gang of mutants at a local high school pushing a drug of some sort to the non-mutants and it's deadly. They want to try and find out what it is and who is dealing the stuff. They think it's being produced from some kind of venom, possibly derived from a mutant. Four students have overdosed, all dead, all in the last month and a half."

Craig scowled. "Dammit. Mutants doing stuff like that ruin it for those of us trying to show that we're good people. Normal."

Ziva snorted as she hauled her butt up to sit on the wide windowsill behind her. "Big deal, most people think we're freaks of nature anyway and would rather we were locked up in a zoo. Who cares?"

"Cause it's the right thing to do, stop the bad guys!" Skylar told her brightly. "I wonder how Logan and Storm plan on trying to stop them," Skylar speculated.

Craig's face suddenly brightened. "We should offer to help!"

"Help? Help how?" Skylar asked in a confused voice.

"Go undercover at the school and try to get in with the dealers. Make a buy," Craig told her.

Ziva burst out laughing loudly. "Right you two would scare them off in two seconds flat."

Craig looked wounded. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you and Skylar are so clean-cut it's frightening. You'd probably be football team captain and she'd be leading the glee club. And you would both be on the student council."

"Wait, what about me?" Lenny asked her.

"You'd be voted most likely to steal the P.E. equipment and sell it on eBay," she told him brightly.

"Wow, thanks, I think," he said dryly.

"Hey, no problem there, Dunk Tank."

Lenny lunged at her, stopped only because Craig flung out an arm, and caught him across the chest. "Stop it! We'll never make it on the X-Men team if you two can't work together!"

"You don't seem to get that I don't give a crap. I don't even want to be here!" Ziva reminded him.

"And you forget that something nasty wants to use you for a science experiment. It's in your best interest to be here," Craig snapped at her with narrowed eyes.

She held her hands up. "Yeah, yeah, fine whatever. Just keep him away from me and all is good."

Lenny flipped her the bird, but he backed away and sat on one of the desks. "Fine, so how do we get Logan, and more importantly Storm, to let us work the school job?"

Skylar smiled brightly at them. "Let me handle them. You know I can talk them into it. Craig, you come with me in case I need a little assistance."

"Why Craig?" Lenny asked her.

"Because, as Ziva pointed out, we care the cleancut ones, I think we might give them a better impression." She shrugged.

"Works for me," Ziva told her with a grin.

"It would," Lenny muttered.

She held a hand up and sparks rippled from the tip of one finger to the next and back again.

Craig shot Ziva and Lenny a look that told them both to behave themselves before he turned and followed Skylar from the room. Calling back to them as he left, "Behave, or maybe we won't ask if the two of you can go along!"

Ziva sent Lenny a look of disgust and tried to move past the desk he still sat on. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, restraining her. "Hey, listen, can't we start over, why don't you like me?"

She gave the hand on her wrist a look and he let go. "Let's think about it, shall we? You flirt with anything female like it's your right to treat girls as if they're nothing but objects and you're also obnoxious and annoying. Gee, I don't know, can't think of a thing that would be a turn-off." Her voice dripped sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, all right? You know what it's like out there for people like us. I guess over the years it has just become a sort of defense." He shrugged. "And let's face it, beside Craig I sort of vanish. If I don't make a total ass out of myself people tend to ignore me. Especially females. Not that that's any sort of an excuse, just an explanation."

Ziva eyed him closely, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. Though, she could see him acting like a complete jerk to get girls to notice him beyond Craig. She honestly didn't buy his other excuse for his behavior.

When she made no response, he sighed. "Not everyone has super supportive parents like Craig and Skylar. My parents booted me out of the house."

She shrugged. "Mine weren't either. Point?"

"They didn't simply kick me out. They burned everything of mine and told everyone I died. They even had a funeral to help the charade along."

"Wow. My mom just kicked me out and left it at that."

"Yeah, well it wasn't good press to have a mutant for a kid."

"Good press?"

"My dad worked at city hall. He was a PA for some senator." He ended with a shrug but she could see the pain, and anger in his eyes.

"That sucks. All right, fine, truce, for now. But I swear to God, try anything like that with me again and I'll fry you. No flirting. That crap doesn't work with me. I don't flatter easily."

"I got that already, Voltanna," he said with a small chuckle.

She lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Keep calling me that and you're still gonna be Swizzle Stick."

"I think I like Slip 'N Slide better," he replied with a grin.

She rolled her eyes at him and took a seat. "So, this whole X-men team, what do they actually do?"

"Save the world or whatever." He lifted a shoulder and let it drop.

"Whatever?"

He sighed. "Storm can control the weather."

"Duh, I figured that out already. Her name is Storm."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Logan is the Wolverine." He waved a hand in the air. "And blah blah blah, there's a whole team."

"Great, so we have a whole superhero team hiding in the school?"

"If that's what you want to call them."

"So what do you call your alter ego?"

He shrugged. "Never thought about it really. You?"

"Same. I had no idea we needed like superhero names or anything."

"Well, I mean Storm is just Storm, no one calls her by her real name. And Logan is usually Wolverine. A few others have names, but some don't." Lenny shrugged it off as he stood so they could leave the room.

Ziva followed him out. "You think Skylar has any chance of talking Storm and Logan into letting us go undercover at that school?"

"If anyone does, it's Skylar."

"I thought she could only possess inanimate objects?" Ziva asked in confusion as she pictured Skylar possessing Storm as she convinced her to let them go undercover.

"Yeah, that's true. But she's so logical and convincing that she's the one most likely to talk Storm into letting us go. I guess that's part of her being able to possess a computer, she can logically put together an argument step by step." He shrugged. "And Craig is charming to a fault. They'll make an epic debate team." He chuckled.

"Let's head up to my room and we'll wait for them there." She eyed him. "As long as you behave."

He held up his hands. "I will be the perfect gentlemen."

"Fine, let's go then." She led the way upstairs.

***

Ziva jumped up from her bed, when Craig and Skylar came through the door. "Well?" She wanted to know what happened, she and Lenny had been waiting over an hour for them to return.

Skylar gave her a huge smile. "Yes! We can go!"

"Under a couple of conditions," Craig added before they could get excited.

"Conditions?" Lenny asked.

"Well, yeah. Logan is in charge of the operation and we report to him. He's gonna pose as Craig's Uncle," Skylar told them.

"Craig's uncle?" Ziva asked.

Craig smirked. "Well he is a bit on the, um ..." he trailed off.

"Unsavory looking side?" Ziva put in.

"Yes, Storm decided if the dealer was going to buy our story we needed the appropriate home environment, and living with Logan just might do it," Craig told them.

"Uh-huh, and what story would that be exactly?" Ziva asked suspiciously.

Craig combed his fingers through his hair not meeting her eyes.

"Craig, spill it!" Ziva demanded.

"Okay, well it made sense to make Logan my uncle since we kinda look alike." He paused.

"And?" Ziva prompted him when he paused.

"Logan thought it would make the most sense to tell everyone that you were my girlfriend, Lenny is your cousin since you two kinda look alike, and that Skylar is his girlfriend," he rushed out.

Ziva blinked at him for several seconds, looked over at Lenny who shrugged and then looked back at Craig. "Why in the world would he come up with that plan?"

"Well, since as you put it, Skylar and I look too clean-cut to attract the dealer's attention, it might make sense that you and Lenny would be the bad influence in our lives. Also, add in the fact that we're living with Logan and that would be another influence on our behavior. The story is that my parents died, Skylar's recently divorced. That gives me a reason to be living with my unsavory uncle and her a reason to rebel and go move in with her boyfriend, who ran his butt away from home after getting into trouble multiple times and is living with his cousin." He pointed at her when he mentioned Lenny running away to live with his cousin. "All of is just so tragic and things that might send us out looking for trouble."

Ziva chewed her bottom lip as she considered the idea. It made a lot of sense. But pretending to be Craig's girlfriend could be trouble for her emotions. Then again, at least she didn't have to pretend to be Lenny's girlfriend. Skylar was stuck with that job.

"Fine, I guess it makes sense. When do we start?"

"Next Monday. Logan is gonna find a house to rent near the school," Craig told her.

"Oh, lovely. Sounds grand." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I didn't ask to be guardian to you four monsters. This wasn't my idea," Logan grumbled from where he stood in the doorway.

Wow, the man could move quietly. Ziva stared at him. Logan was a lot like her, he'd rather be anywhere else and he'd rather be alone. Yet, he remained here, despite his surly attitude. She had to wonder why. Though, she wasn't going to be interrogating him about it anytime soon.

Craig smirked at him. "Come on, this could be fun. It also gives us a chance to prove to you that we can be a valuable asset to the X-Men."

He snorted. "Right, a bunch of hormonal teens is a great asset. I simply can't wait for this operation to start. It's gonna be a blast. And I say that with all due sarcasm, kid."

They watched him turn and walk off. Lenny gave them a mournful look. "Ohhh, this is going to be sooo much fun. Uncle Logan as a guardian. Party time!"

"I heard that, kid!" Logan yelled back down the hallway.

Skylar giggled. "Wolverine hearing Lenny, remember?"

Lenny cursed under his breath. "Oh, right I forgot about that. Crap, we won't even be able to sneak out of the house to go to any parties. This is gonna suck."

"Damn straight, kid!" Logan yelled, ending with a loud laugh.

Lenny gave them all a pained look before he left and headed for his room.

Craig sighed. "Well, I guess we had all better start thinking about what to pack. Remember, pack clothes that will work with whatever personality you want to portray that will help with our ruse." He then turned to follow Lenny to their room.

Ziva dropped down on the bed. "Ug, great this is gonna be interesting."

Skylar frowned a bit. "Ziva, will you help me pack, you know, so I don't look too much like a dork?"

Ziva grinned over at her. "Yeah, sure don't worry about it." Though she doubted Skylar had anything in her closet that wasn't, bright, perky, preppy, and non-happyish. It was going to be difficult to pack for her to portray the image of a troubled youth. Maybe they could go shopping before they had to leave. She knew a couple of thrift shops they could hit that would help Skylar be a little less, well ... Skylar-like. Maybe Craig could do a little shopping too, though his laid back, skater boy look wasn't as bad as Sky and her bright sunny outfits.