Notes: The characters from "Forever Knight" belong to Sony Tri-Star. The characters from "Xena Warrior Princess" belong to StudiosUSA and Renaissance Studios. The characters from "Smallville" belong to DC Comics and Tribune. The characters from "Mutant X" belong to Marvel and Tribune. The characters from "Dark Angel" belong to Tribune. All other characters and scenarios are fictitious and belong to me. Please send any questions or comments to dante0220@yahoo.com.

Prologue [Amazon Village, 82AD]

Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons, writes...

Rebuilding takes on many shapes and forms: Often the work is hard and tedious, yet the cooperation and goodwill engendered in the process provides a solid foundation for things to come. Here, the village has been rebuilt, and the sisterhood remains strong. In the future, our friends are forming a group of their own. The "Society of Tolerance," as Dave calls it, is coming together as this scroll tells....

Chapter 1 [Dallas-Fort Worth Airport]

Lana sipped on a latte from the coffee cart outside of the gate area and stared out the window to the west. She couldn't believe that she and Clark were finally on their way to start school. Even more bizarre, she wanted to do this to prove that a normal person could live amongst so-called new mutants. However, she had just discovered that she was a mutant as well.

It's hard to believe, she mused, taking another sip. Now, I know how Clark feels.

As if on cue, the object of her thoughts approached her. He had a serious look set on his face as well. "Hey. What's going on?" he asked, already knowing what the answer would be, but wanting to make sure.

"Clark, how do you deal with it?" she wondered, glancing up at him.

"How do I deal with what?" he responded, taking a peek around to make sure that nobody was close enough to overhear.

She looked around nervously before whispering, "You know. Being unique."

He nodded, riding the wave of uncertainty rising up within him. Despite the fact that she had known who he really was for the previous three months, Clark still felt nervous talking with her about his abilities. Still, she desperately needed somebody to relate to. I have to do that for her. "It's a challenge," he replied. "I think the toughest thing is having to act as if I can't do something when I really can do it."

"Like the desk in The Torch's office?"

"Exactly," he agreed. "You don't know how many close calls I've had over the years."

"I can imagine that Chloe's investigative mind is a tough thing to dodge," she cracked, sipping on her coffee and recalling her friend's face.

"That it is," he concurred. "She was always suspicious of me. At least, that's not a problem anymore."

She sighed, recalling the attack on The Torch, and Chloe's reaction to her extraordinary friends. Fortunately, by the time of the lunch at the Talon, the reporter had calmed down a bit. "I'm glad of that, Clark. Chloe's been such a good friend to us. Professor Dubois' self-control at lunch had something to do with that, I think. She realizes that we're still the same people we were before."

He looked at the History professor sitting across the gate area from them with his wife. The Duboises had made pleasant small talk at certain points on the flight; however, they had left the teenagers to themselves here in Dallas. "Well, it wasn't easy for him to hold the Child back, Lana. Trust me."

She sighed. Granted, she was dealing with her new abilities, but she thought for a second on what it was like for the Professor. Not only did he have his powers, but the task of governing two separate mutant personalities inside of himself. I'm glad I'm not in his shoes. "I wonder how he does it."

"Lots of stress," he informed her, a little nervousness showing on his face. "After you and Dr. Dubois were kidnapped, I saw him go really berserk. Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near him when that happens."

She shuddered, recalling his accounts of the attack on the classroom not to mention the looks that the students were giving the Professor even after a week. Besides, Clark didn't show fear all that often whether he was acting or not. Finally, having seen him blast his way through a reinforced concrete barrier, she didn't really want to consider what the Other could do with that kind of power. "I hope we never get like that."

"We won't. Professor Dubois will make sure of that, Lana," Clark reassured her, rubbing her shoulders.

"Well, I wonder what's waiting for us out there?" she asked, turning back toward the window.

"A new experience. Going to school with a lot of other people in a big city. And to be with people like ourselves will be nice as well," he replied honestly. At least, I won't have to hide from everyone anymore.

"I wonder what our classmates are going to be like? You know, it's so weird. Back in Smallville, we knew all of our friends from as far back as we could remember. Now we have to deal with not knowing."

Clark thought about those last words for a minute. "I figure it's going to be an adventure, Lana. We're going to experience a lot of new things. I'm looking forward to meeting new people." He flashed the warm smile for her benefit.

She giggled. What was it about Clark that made even the most serious doubts vanish? If she had to go through this adjustment, she was so glad to have him and the two professors to guide her. "Thanks, Clark."

"For what?"

"For being you," she told him, kissing his cheek. "C'mon, they're going to be announcing the flight pretty soon."

****

Across the area, Dave sat next to Angie, nervously sipping on a cup of tea and thinking about the future. Granted, while he had been talking about bringing new mutants to the university to study, it seemed like such an easy thing to do. Surprisingly, the paperwork had gone smoothly with the administration. However, the attack on Smallville had given him some food for thought. What would happen if the GSA attacked again? Was it right to expose the so-called "regular" students to that threat? How would he arbitrate the understanding and peaceful coexistence between the two groups? And then would Nick have enough control over the vampire Community to insure peace from that front as well? What the Hell am I getting them into? What am I getting myself into? He shook his head and sighed.

Beside him, Angie observed his body language with concern. The trip to Smallville had been nerve wracking for them both to say the least. With Eckhart's attack and demise, nobody knew what would happen next. She knew that he was having some doubts about his ability to mentor new mutants on how to function in regular society, especially given his own issues. This is necessary. He has to lead. And I'll be right beside him every step of the way.  "Umm, Dave?"

"Yeah?" he responded.

"What's up?" she inquired although she could guess at the reason.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Dave, this is me you're talking to, remember? Now what's wrong?" she insisted, the knowing frown on her face.

She knows me too well. "Well, I don't know how I can lead these kids when I can't even keep myself in control. I can't even control the Child. If I can't do that, then how can I do that with them?"

"Now you're sounding like Eckhart, Dave," she admonished. "It's not about control. It's about guidance. You're not these kids' babysitter. We're here to be role models and maybe a bit of guidance. Adam will help us with their powers. Hey, we're not alone in this, okay?"

"I guess. It's still seems so overwhelming," he admitted, sipping on his tea as he watched Clark and Lana.

"Having feelings of deja-vu again?" she asked.

"Uh huh. They really do remind me of Karen and me at their age," he noted. "I want to spare them all of the heartache."

She rubbed his shoulder. While it had been fun at first to let him reminisce, it was starting to get a bit old for her. "Look, they have to live their own lives. I really admire that protectiveness of yours. It's one of the things I love about you, but he's not you and she's not Karen, okay? Trust me, I agree with what Lex said at the airport. You're doing okay and so is Karen. Besides, you've got me, Buster."

"I know that, Angie," he told her, kissing her cheek. "Remember what I told you on our wedding night?"

"Besides 'I do'?" she teased. Seeing his expression, she nodded. "Yes. Just remember that we have to live in the present and not the past. You've been doing so well with that lately."

"I have you to thank for that, Princess," he asserted, giving her another kiss.

She giggled. "Keep that up and I'll have to start charging for admission."

He grinned. "Just try it. Oh, and thanks."

"For what?" she wondered.

"For keeping me on the straight and narrow," he stated as the flight was announced. "That's us. Let's go!"

Seeing their teenaged students coming toward them, the two faculty members stepped into the boarding line and headed toward the plane. Soon, they would be back in Tucson, and the real work would begin.

Chapter 2

[Fine Arts Museum, Campus] (Additional Spoilers: Forever Knight: "Dark Knight II")

Even as Clark, Lana, Dave, and Angie flew back, Alyce inspected an exquisite Mayan display which had taken her and Brigid Shannon, her graduate assistant, most of the evening to set up. The potters' carvings of animals intrigued her as always. However, she couldn't help but think of her first few encounters with Nick in Toronto. The jade cups had been one of her favorite artifacts...until LaCroix destroyed it in the slaughterhouse. What a waste. Such a fine piece of work gone forever.

"Excuse me, Dr. Harris?" Brigid asked. "Is there anything else?"

"Hmm?" the curator responded, snapping out of her reverie. "No, Brigid, that will be all. Nice work."

"Thanks," the junior expressed. "I'll see you on Monday night."

"See you then," Alyce concluded as she watched the assistant descend the staircase and disappear through the front door. After the latter's departure, she headed for her office, eager to finish the report for the Head Curator. This exhibit's going to be great! The public will love it! Just before she reached the desired door, she felt her senses tingling. Other vampires? Now? Nick isn't there, so what's going on? "Hello? Come out. If you are who I think you are, you know I can sense you."

Silence greeted her challenge, however she still felt the intruders' presences. As they drew closer, she could see them in the dim light. One vampire was thin with white hair, pale skin, and red eyes. The other had slightly darker skin, jet-black hair, a familiar Turkish mustache, and wore the uniform of an Ottoman Janissary. Ali here? Does Nick know?

A dark snicker came from the former Janissary as he addressed her. "So where's the Elder? I want to see him."

She steeled herself. "I don't know. He's working."

"Ah, playing detective, I assume," the older immortal noted, a wry smile on his face. "I really should enlighten the others to his real nature one day. Speaking of revealing real natures, I have a friend for you to meet. This is Mason. He's an Enforcer in training."

"I'm...an old friend of his," the fledgling added, shooting his master a glare.

Ali nodded. "Take her!"

Eckhart took off, flying at the curator at top speed. He was determined to please his new master and to deal with another friend of his mutant adversaries.

Alyce avoided him with ease. Allowing her eyes to flash yellow, she vamped out, and grabbed him from behind. She threw him about like a rag doll, breaking bones, and peppering him with glass shards. "Had enough?" she asked coldly, a dark glare shooting into his eyes.

The Turk intervened, allowing his 'son' to crawl away. He wasn't going to lose a second creation to this accursed city's residents. Not this soon. Still, her display had given him some food for thought. This isn't the same fledgling that watched the death duel in Istanbul. She's changed.

"I'll be sure to deliver your message to Nick when I see him," she said, watching him carefully.

"Do that...if you survive!" the Enforcer growled, advancing on her.

She felt a vestige of her former fear run down her spine before her strength kicked in. With her forearm, she blocked a wicked punch and delivered one of her own, sending him back into the display case. "Leave now," she advised firmly.

He rose to his feet and managed to backhand her quickly, staggering her. Shockingly, she stood there and took it. "Amazing," he hissed. Then he felt a familiar yet distinct vibration behind him. Looking down into the lower atrium, he could see Nick standing there, eyes glowing bloody red and a grim expression on his face. "Nicholas!"

"Ali," Nick replied flatly. "What are you doing here? And what have you done with Eckhart? I can sense him here."

"He's mine now!" Ali asserted, glaring daggers at the former Crusader, as he guided his fledgling to his feet.

The Elder joined the others in the blink of an eye. At least, he could tell Natalie what happened to the deceased villain. "So he is. However, as the Elder of Tucson and of this region, I order you to stay away from the mortals and mutants!"

Eckhart scowled wordlessly at him. Nobody tells me anything like that.

Reading the fledgling's mind, Nick added, "Stay away, both of you. You've already caused the Community, our friends, and me enough grief as it is. Don't push me on this point."

The Enforcer master stared at his longtime adversary for a span of several mortal heartbeats. He's different too, he realized. Somehow, he's grown more powerful...perhaps surpassing even his sire. There will be another time for this debate to continue.  Looking at his charge, he instructed, "Follow me, Mason." Without another look at their opponents, the intruders disappeared into the atrium and through the doorway through which they had come.

She exhaled deeply, allowing herself to quake a bit. "I...I did it. I actually did it."

He smiled warmly and embraced her. She's no longer a fledgling, and she's capable of holding her own against even the toughest of adversaries. "You sure did."

"When did you get here?"

"Just as you were teaching Eckhart the facts of immortal life," he cracked good-naturedly as he ran his hands through her raven-black hair and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm really proud of you, Alyce."

"Thanks, Nick. Now, I need to worry about how to clean up this mess," she noted.

"Let's get to it. We'll have this place cleaned up in no time," he agreed, grabbing a broom. "C'mon."

She nodded, a warm feeling running through her. I'm not a weakling anymore. I'm actually worthy of his love. Another deep breath later, she began to pick up pieces and move them into place. Triumphs aside, this mess would need to be cleaned up on several levels: the Head Curator and Mutant X. Eckhart's resurrection and Ali's reappearance meant trouble for them all.

Chapter 3 [New Sanctuary] (Additional Note: Mutant X Spoiler: Interface)

Meantime, all was relatively peaceful in the new Sanctuary facility. After dropping Nick off in the desert just west of Tucson, Mutant X had hurried back there to check on things. Granted, Eckhart's death probably put the skids to any GSA activity for quite a while, but it never hurt to be sure.

As soon as they arrived, Adam put Jesse and Shalimar to work scanning the database for possible activity. The former geneticist wanted to leave nothing to chance.

"How's it looking?" he asked about fifteen minutes later.

"Nothing at all," she replied. "In fact, it's almost too quiet."

"That's what I think too," Adam concurred, sipping on his hot cocoa. "Jesse?"

"Same here," the computer whiz told him. "How will Eckhart's death affect the GSA?"

"It's hard to tell," Adam postulated. "Either the whole operation could break down or another head could be appointed. In any case, the next move is up to them."

"That's a scary thought," she said, casting him a worried glance. "Especially with the new branch of the Underground ready to start up.

The leader nodded. From his years at Genomex, he knew that there were other dangers within its walls besides Mason Eckhart. Now could be the time when one of them is released. We must be vigilant.

"You okay, Adam?" Jesse inquired.

"Yes. Sorry, I spaced there for a second. So, how are the new members of the Underground doing?"

"Everyone is on their way to Tucson except for Michelle Bigelow. She's with Emma at the moment," Brennan stated, walking up the stairs.

"Good," Adam replied, allowing himself a slight smile. This experiment was definitely breaking new ground by placing new mutants in close proximity to regular society. I hope that Dave can pull this off. If anyone can, it's him, especially if we help him. Scanning the list of candidates, he took a deep breath. Among this group were several potentially powerful individuals including shape shifters-a rarity among the Children of Genomex. If the GSA were ever to get their hands on them, it would mean the destruction of everything we hold dear. We have to succeed. Snapping back to reality, he told the trio. "Keep monitoring things. If something happens, we need to know immediately." With that, he descended the staircase, heading for his quarters. It had been an extremely long day and he was eager to rest for a bit.

****

In another part of the renovated complex, Michelle sipped on a cup of tea, trying to relax. The partially decorated area seemed strange to her, especially after the elaborate nature of the old Sanctuary. While she knew that this place would be just as nice as its predecessor soon, it reminded her of the vulnerability of all things. Thankfully, Emma was able to stop me before I revealed any information to Eckhart. She shook her head, recalling how the administrator had her convinced that the team and her former high school classmate were the enemy. How close I came to destroying everything.

"Hey, what's going on?" Emma asked, sitting down next to her.

"How do you all do it?" Michelle wondered.

"Do what?" Emma inquired curiously. She arched her eyebrow as she tried to grasp her friend's meaning.

"Be such heroes. I can't imagine doing what you guys do day in and day out," the telecyber revealed.

Emma smiled and rubbed her shoulder. "It's tough sometimes, but someone has to do it. Otherwise, the Eckharts of the world win. You know what, though?"

"What?"

"Seeing you as you and not some reprogrammed robot for the GSA makes it all worthwhile, Michelle. You don't know how hard it was for me to see you taking their side," Emma noted. "I am so glad to see you back to the way you are." A tear creased her cheek as she embraced her friend.

"At least, I finally get to go to college, right?" Michelle asked cheerfully. "I can't believe that it's finally going to happen. I was so swept up by the GSA's crusade that I felt as if I missed out on something. The university is amazing! I can't wait."

"It is that. Oh, I hope this works out for you. I've met two of your classmates. They're from Kansas, but they're looking forward to coming out here."

She smiled warmly. At least, I'll be part of something that's a force for good. "What's Dr. Dubois like? How will he work with us?"

"He knows his field of course, and he's a mutant as well. He's a nice guy, Michelle, but like all of us, he has his issues."

Michelle nodded. From what I remember of the battle inside of Genomex and from reading Sanderson's report, that's putting it lightly. "Emma, you've seen into his head, right?"

"I have. Why?"

"Is it true that he's...well...explosive?"

Emma squirmed uncomfortably. How can I describe what's going on inside of his head without making him sound like a raving lunatic? "He has his moments," she understated. "Consider him a product of his environment."

"What do you mean?" the former GSA agent asked, her confusion made very clear by her tone.

"Well, did you meet Stuart Dubois?"

"No, but I did observe him. He's a real piece of work all right," Michelle replied, recalling Eckhart's uncooperative ally.

"Now, imagine growing up with him. Dave did...and he developed in a rather...unique way. You know the saying 'having two minds on something'? He literally does..."

"So, he does have two distinct personalities. The field agent's report had stated as much. How can we trust him not to flip out on us?"

Emma bit her lip. That's the question, isn't it? "Just don't provoke him. Trust me, Michelle; he's really a nice person. He just needs a little understanding."

"But if he's threatened?"

"Then his Child persona surfaces, and you don't want to be in his path at that point. My point is that he is really gaining a lot of control these days. You should have seen him in Smallville. Dave managed some degree of control throughout that whole episode," Emma recounted. "He's getting better all of the time."

"Okay. If you say so," her friend concurred. "Personally, History was never that strong a subject for me. I'm hoping he's a good prof."

Emma grinned warmly. "If his lectures are anything like the speech he gave to the students, it should be quite entertaining. He loves to mix wisecracks into his dialogue. Judging from his record, he definitely knows his stuff."

"Well, I hope so," Michelle sassed. "We're paying big bucks to get me there. If he's not that good, you know what I'm going to say."

"'You're over that place'?"

"Right. But, I'm willing to give him a chance." The telecyber took another sip of tea. "When does the party start?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. Meantime, it's getting late. Let's get some sleep. Maybe we'll talk a little bit. Y'know, the way we used to do to fool our parents?" Emma suggested, a warm smile on her face.

Michelle shook her head mischievously. This is just what I needed. She's right. Following her friend's lead, she headed for the sleeping quarters and some girl talk.

Chapter 4 [Campus]

Early the next morning, Dave walked across campus. He couldn't sleep...the anxiousness was keeping him on edge. Today was the day. All of the planning, all of our hopes start now. He hoped that some reading would calm him down a bit. Let's see if those books have come in yet. After walking through the main library's front door and descending the stairs, a quick right turn brought him to the new bookshelf. As per his weekly ritual, he ran his finger along the spines of the tomes, making sure that the previous month's orders were there. Occasionally, he would pull one off the shelf, crack it open, and inspect a few pages to make sure the quality met his standards.  Within fifteen minutes, he had six books stacked beside him, ready for checkout. Anticipating some challenging reading, he smiled to himself. After all, one needed to keep one's edge if he or she were to keep students interested.

"They meet your standards, I trust?" Caitlin asked, allowing a bit of humor to seep into her voice. The library dean approached him quickly and continued, "Why don't we put those in my office for now? Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Not yet. I was going to grab something out of the machine in the department," he told her as they got into the elevator.

"I thought so," she noted as they stepped off into her suite. Unlocking the door, she allowed him to place the stack on her desk before she secured it once again. "Breakfast is on me, David. You look as though you need to talk."

He sighed deeply and gave her the familiar glance.

"I thought so," she surmised as they walked out of the building, heading down the mall area and across the construction area to the rapidly changing Student Union. The old structure, long a fixture on campus, had been gutted and now, a new version was rising in its place. "You like the changes?"

"I guess. Personally, I wish they had kept it the way it was," he muttered. Aside from the money involved in the building project, he had a lot of memories wrapped up in the old Union. I know we have to move on at some point, but why does it have to be so hard?

"Things change, David. Life goes on," she reminded him. "You're not a student anymore. I'm not the same librarian that I was on the day I arrived. The campus has different needs now as well. The world has different needs."

"Don't I know it," he agreed although not as enthusiastically as she might.

She stared at him in surprise and shock. What's eating at him? This is the day of his big triumph. The day he sticks it to those bigots and begins his equality project. "Okay, what is it?"

"What's what?" he asked.

"C'mon, David. What's bothering you? I've never seen you back down from anything or anyone before. I also know when something's on your mind."

He nodded. "There is, actually. I don't know how good of a mentor I can be for these kids."

"What? You were one of the best peer advisors this university has ever had! Besides, who other than...someone like you with talents and experience living here can guide them? You're perfect for the job." Holding the door of the food court open, she allowed him to walk through before following him.

"There are other issues too, Caitlin. You know what...or rather whom I'm talking about," he argued.

She shrugged, sipping on a cup of flavored coffee. "If I get your meaning, I think he'll work with us. This is in both of your interests, David. You forget, I've talked to the Child and lived to tell of it."

"You shouldn't take it so lightly," he stated, taking a gulp of his juice and nervously tapping on the table with his pen.

"I don't," she told him. "But he's not really that bad, as long as neither of you are threatened. You can't remember this, but I've seen your moods at their worst. I saw what happened when you lost control. And I think this is going to be a good experience for you both. You're ready to take this role. The university administration supports you, as do the deans and the rest of the faculty. It's time to deal with the situation just as you said at the rally."

"And what happens if some super powered twit attacks campus?" he wondered.

"Been there. Watched you deal with that. You'll handle it or call for backup. From what I can tell, you have some pretty powerful friends of your own. Have confidence and try to remain positive, okay?" she assured him even as their waffles arrived.

He took a bite of the chewy item, savoring the taste in his mouth even while considering her words. Everyone really thinks I can do this. Maybe I should finally take their word for it.

"Seeing my reasoning, aren't you?" she jabbed playfully. "It took long enough."

"Yeah, I can see it," he agreed. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," she said. "Now, you know that I expect you to give these folks a tour of the library this afternoon. I want to welcome them myself. What time are you meeting with them?"

"About noon. Angie, Eve, Francesca, and Steve will be there as well. I figure we'll need a few minutes to talk with them. How about 12:30?" he detailed.

"Very good," she agreed. "I'll have Sue-Anne hold that time, and I'll ask that everyone keeps this low key. Sounds all right?"

"Great," he expressed. "Thanks for doing this, Caitlin. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. It's the least I can do. Now eat up. That's an order," she replied.

"Yes, Ma'am," he complied almost flippantly as he carved another piece. After all, the meeting was still four hours away and at least, he could keep his stomach full.

Chapter 5 [Hilton, just west of campus]

Lana rose early and looked out the window of the Hilton toward the mountains. The rising sun painted the scene with a panorama of vibrant colors making the geography a sight to behold. Dr. Dubois definitely knew what she was talking about. This is awesome. Her enhanced senses picked up on the spiritual energies surrounding her as well. All around her, she could feel an almost calming undercurrent, soothing her nerves. This is why Professor Dubois wanted to move here. The area helps him to keep the darkness in check.

"That it does," her mother concurred, appearing in the corner of the balcony. "Good morning, Lana."

"Hi, Mom," she greeted, still feeling a bit unnerved about actually seeing the spirit in front of her. "How are you?"

"I'm great. How are you doing? Today's the big day, you know."

"Right," the daughter agreed. "I'm feeling a bit nervous about the whole thing. I mean...well...I was so glad to get away from Smallville and all. But, I forgot how big this place is!"

"The world is a much larger place than Smallville," her mother replied. "I know you'll make your way in it, and do quite well."

"I just want to make you and Dad proud of me," Lana admitted.

"We are proud of you," Laura assured her. "Just keep your head up high and do your best. That's all we can ask. Clark seems to be holding his own although he's nervous as well."

"He's strong," Lana noted. "I know he'll rise to the challenge."

"That he will. He's a good young man, Lana. Keep him close to you. Good luck today," her mother concluded before fading away into the corner.

This is definitely going to take some getting used to, she mused, walking back into her room to get ready to meet Clark in an hour for breakfast.

****

Meantime Clark hung the phone up in his room. His parents reassured him that everything was all right at the farm and requested that he focus on the orientation session. Yeah, like I can think of anything else. He took a deep breath, as he put on his plaid button down shirt and blue jeans. He heard Lana drop something in the next room and grinned. I'm glad she's here. She's just as nervous as I am.

Then the phone rang. Now who? "Hello?"

"Hey, Clark," Pete answered. "How's it going?"

"Pete! What a surprise! How'd you get this number?" Clark inquired, running his hand through his hair.

"Your folks gave it to me," the jock replied. "So when did you guys get in?"

"Last night. Actually, after the last few days in Smallville, it's a relief to be doing this, trust me," Clark reported.

"Yeah, I saw on the news. Hey, is it true that Miranda found her family? That's so cool!" Pete exclaimed.

"She did. Believe it or not, Professor Dubois is her uncle. We met her Dad at the Talon day before yesterday. He seems like a nice guy and you can't believe how happy they both were," Clark noted.

"Well, I'll have to call her and say congrats. Hey, how are you and Lana doing? I heard there was a standoff at Smallville High. Were you there?" Pete wondered with concern.

"We were in the Torch with Chloe and Miranda when those guys attacked. We sort of worked together to hold off the goons until the Professor blasted his way in," Clark recounted.

"In front of Chloe? Did she see you?"

"Yeah, Pete, she did. Miranda saw me too. Chloe did freak, but she's cool about it now."

Pete scratched his head. I can't believe that Chloe and Miranda know now too. "Anyone else know? Like a certain bald headed billionaire?"

"No, Pete," Clark sighed impatiently. "He doesn't know. And it was kind of a tight squeeze. I didn't have much of a choice. Neither did Lana or Miranda for that matter."

"Huh?"

Damn. Let that one slip. Come on, Kent. If you expect others to keep your secret, you have to keep theirs too. "Let's say they kept up with me and took out their share of goons in there if you get my drift."

Pete read between the lines of his friend's words. Miranda and Lana are different too? Great, the meteors affected them as well.

"So how are things at UCLA?" Clark asked.

"We're okay here. I've got a full slate of classes and made a few friends out here. Hey, I've got to run, but I wanted to remind you that I'm only eight hours up the freeway, Chief. If you wanna talk, we can talk. Got it?" Pete concluded. "Go out there and kick butt, Clark. You two will do fine, I'm sure. See ya."

"Thanks, Pete. Have a great day," Clark responded before hanging up.

At that moment, the phone rang again. Now who? "Hello?"

"Hey, Clark. What's going on?" Lex asked.

"Hi, Lex. I'm just getting ready to meet Lana for breakfast before our orientation tour. What's going on with you? You aren't getting lonely yet, are you?" Clark teased.

Lex chuckled. "No, Clark, although having to deal with Nell is different than Lana. Let me tell you. Everything's fine here. Lana and I hired a new waitress before you two left so that'll help a bit. Do you want me to check in on your folks?"

"Well, if you want to. I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind seeing you," Clark responded. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, Clark, what's up?" Lex agreed.

"Can you check up on Chloe? I'm concerned about her. She thinks that she's alone and nobody cares. I'm going to send her an email when I get the chance, but maybe a friendly smirk might help, if you get my drift?" Clark requested.

"Actually, Clark, we ran into each other last night and had dinner. I think I made her feel a little better," the businessman informed him. "I can't believe that I didn't notice her before. It took a flat tire on her car before I did."

Clark's brow quirked with concern. He's not putting the moves on her now, is he?

Lex assured him. "Clark, I can feel your white knight vibes from here. Trust me, nothing happened except for a nice dinner and a coffee at the Talon. I think she's leaving for Cornell tomorrow anyhow."

"Thanks for doing that, Lex," Clark expressed.

"No problem. I needed the company and so did she. Besides, she's quite interesting in her own right. Well, let Lana know I said hi and try not to stress too much. Make some friends, all right? Well, see you later. Let me know what happens," Lex concluded, hanging up.

"Thanks, Lex," Clark concluded, hanging up in the hotel room. Thanks, guys, I needed that.

****

An hour later, another young woman toweled herself off as she stepped out of the shower. For Michelle Montoya, or "Mika" as her friends called her, being in Tucson was nothing new to her. For years, she had made frequent visits to the area with her parents for vacations and to visit her godparents. Now, it was time for her to start school. Although she had initially considered going elsewhere for college, being close to her "uncle" and "aunt" with whom she had always held a special bond made this place special. Her mother's announcement that she would have the opportunity to mix with others like herself was a bonus. No offense, I love D. J., but a girl's gotta have others to hang around with besides her little brother.

Then she heard a sharp little bark. She winced, guessing that her Highland terrier, Misty, had felt her thoughts. C'mon, Mika, you know she can hear you. While she had known about her telepathic abilities most of her life, the ability to communicate with animals was a new one for her.

["You bet I did," the pooch stated through their link. "At least we're off that big metal thing."]

["I love to fly," the girl told her pet.]

["You weren't the one in the belly of that thing. I thought it was the Milkbone factory for me that time. It was bad enough to be in that cage, but geez...squashed in with those hard things around me. Then that stupid cat wouldn't stop yowling all the way. You humans don't know how lucky you have it."]

Mika smiled warmly and rubbed the dog's head. ["You know I didn't mean leaving you behind. That's why you're here with me."] Hearing a chuckling noise in back of her, she turned to see her mother standing there with a big grin on her face.

"Hey, Sunshine, how's Misty holding up?" Karen inquired. "I bet she loved the flight, huh?"

[" 'I bet she loved the flight, huh?' " Misty groused to Mika. "Next time, she rides in that little jail, and I get to sit with that knockout schnauzer in first class."]

Mika shot her companion a stare telling the latter to cool it.

"I still think you should've called her 'Spunky'," Karen chuckled, petting the dog. "Next time, we'll make other arrangements for her."

"I'm not leaving her in a kennel or anything! You know how I feel about that, Mom," the younger woman protested.

The nurse sighed to herself. She's so close to that dog. If anything were to happen to Misty, how would Mika cope? For most of her teenage years, she and her husband, Mike, had been protective of Mika, trying to balance the need to watch over her and her need for fun and friends. However, despite being a fairly popular girl in school, she didn't have many close friends. Kind of like Dave was at her age, too. I'm so glad that he's trying this program. Hopefully, being around others like us will help her. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. You'll see what I'm talking about when the time comes. Now, let's get dressed and get some breakfast downstairs."

"Can I get the strawberry pancakes?"

"Absolutely," her mother agreed.

Five minutes later, they stepped into the elevator, and started downstairs.

****

Even as Karen and Mika were heading down, Clark and Lana stood on their floor, waiting for the elevator doors to open. As with the others, he was a little anxious about the next few days and starting school. Despite trying to keep focused on the job at hand, he did make it down Speedway to the Kinko's to check his email. There, he found a message from Chloe wishing them both well and giving her new email at Cornell. I hope she's going to be okay. I know things didn't work out as she might have liked, but she deserves the best.

"What's wrong, Clark?" Lana asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about Chloe. I hope she's going to like Cornell. It just seems weird to be going to school without her. When you said that last night, I realized that this is a turning point for all of us."

"We all made our choices," she noted. "Do...you...well...regret yours?" A slight note of fear crept into her voice.

"Not for a second," he affirmed, kissing her. "I love you, Lana."

"And I, you," she concurred, embracing him. Once again, I'm glad he's here with me.

As the doors opened, they came face to face with Karen and another woman about their age.

"Mrs. Montoya, good morning!" he greeted for them both.

"Hi, Clark and Lana. Going down?" Karen asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," Lana agreed, stepping inside. "We were just going to have some breakfast."

"Well, so were we. Mind if we join you?" Karen wondered.

"That would be great," he agreed. Seeing Mika smile nervously at him, he introduced, "Hi, I'm Clark Kent and this is Lana Lang. And you are..."

"Michelle...Michelle Montoya. My friends call me 'Mika'," Mika replied shyly.

"Are you just starting too?" Lana inquired.

"Uh huh. And you?"

"Same here," he told her. "You know what they say about safety in numbers. Want to stick together?"

"We'd like that," Lana added. "If you don't mind, Mrs. Montoya."

"Call me Karen and I think that would be a marvelous idea. Now, that breakfast is getting cold so let's get to it."

With that, the elevator doors closed again, lowering them to the lobby and the food. The rest of the day seemed brighter already.

Chapter 6 [New Sanctuary]

Adam analyzed the latest readout from his additions to the new mutant database. Earlier that morning, he had sent the team out to collect the remaining members of the experimental student group. Once they were back there, it was a simple matter to scan each of them in turn and input the data into the computers.

Just as I suspected. They are a powerful group indeed. I'm glad that we got to them before the GSA could. Walking over to the table where Samantha Cooper, the last of the group, sat waiting for her results, he smiled at the possibilities for the young mutants.

"So how am I doing, Adam?" she wondered, running her hand through her blonde hair nervously.

"You're doing fine, Samantha," he assured her. "I'll be eager to see how you progress with your abilities. Thanks for letting me do the scan."

"No problem," the elemental told him, climbing off the table. "Do you mind if I cool myself off?"

"Go ahead," he agreed, observing her carefully.

She took a deep breath and concentrated. From her hands, a small yet powerful wind gust blew into her face, drying the sweat from her forehead. For a few seconds, she kept it up before tiring. "Whew."

"Impressive. How long have you been doing this?"

"For about a year now," she replied. "I wish I had more stamina."

"That will come. Just be patient with yourself, Samantha, okay?" he advised, allowing a warm smile to crease his features.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll try not to let you down," she promised.

"I'm sure you won't. Now, let's go join the others. We have to be in Tucson in about 25 minutes," he told her.

She furrowed her brow. We're almost 250 miles north of there. Even in the plane, it'll take us longer than that to get there. What's he got up his sleeve? Following his lead, she descended the stairs to the living area where Mutant X and five others waited for them.

"How did she make out?" Jesse inquired.

"She did quite well. As everyone did," Adam replied, suddenly turning serious. "Okay, everyone, we'll be leaving soon. Does anyone have questions?" Seeing a hand raised, he indicated, "Michael."

"I thought we were going to the university. Why did we come here first?" Michael Riley, a tall and bulky man wondered.

"I wanted to make sure you were all okay before you started down there. Besides, it never hurts to keep the database up to date," Adam informed him. "Don't worry. We'll be on our way soon enough."

"How are we going to get there?" a Chicano male probed. "Can your plane go that fast?"

"Where we're going, we won't need the Double Helix, Sebastian," Shalimar replied. "We're going to get some help in that regard."

At that moment, the Native American member of the entourage turned to the corner. "There's something there."

"Where?" Samantha asked. "I don't see anything, Martin."

"There's something there," Martin Littleclaw insisted, watching the area carefully. In addition to his own shape shifting abilities, he was a trained shaman and healer.

"Indeed," a disembodied voice affirmed from the gathering mists. Stepping out of the cloying cover, Deirdre and Max surveyed the group and smiled. "Hi, everyone. Welcome to Arizona. I'm Deirdre, your conductor of sorts."

"Hey, guys. I'm Max," Max added, managing a smile for her fellow enhanced companions.

"Is everyone set at the university?" Adam inquired, putting his jacket on.

"We're all waiting for you," Deirdre indicated. "Shall we?" Seeing the others' reactions, she stated, "I assure you, it's quite safe."

"We've done the express route a couple of times ourselves," Emma added.

"Okay, are there any other questions?" Adam asked. Seeing none, he continued, "Okay then, everyone into the mists."

Martin stepped through and used his own trained senses to survey inside of the portal. "It's okay, guys. Let's go."

Having received affirmation from their new friend, the others followed him. A minute later, Mutant X stepped through and Deirdre sealed the portal behind them.

Chapter 7 [Just outside the Student Union, Noon]

After breakfast, Karen and Mika took Clark and Lana on an express tour of the city, focusing on the east and central parts. Over the next three hours, the latter couple saw some supermarkets, drug stores, malls, and apartment complexes. In addition, Mika pointed out where the bike trail crossed their route. Finally, they parked over in the university garage and headed for the Union.

"Thanks, Karen and Mika, that was some tour," Clark expressed.

"I'll say," Lana concurred. "We really appreciate you giving us the highlights like that."

"It's our pleasure," Karen assured them. "I went through the 'I'm new thing too' out here. So did the Duboises. Call it the peer advisor in me."

"Well, I like having two new friends right off the bat," Mika chimed in, giving them a reassuring smile.

"That makes three of us," Lana agreed, affectionately rubbing her boyfriend's arm.

Mika chuckled. "I can see we have a major PDA alert with you both, don't we? It's nice to see you both like that, you know."

He rolled his eyes. Great. "We don't want to embarrass you or anything."

"Don't worry about it, Clark," Mika continued. "Just enjoy yourselves."

"Within certain limits," Karen gently cut in. Have to be the parent here, I guess.

"Well, I guess we can do this, right?" Lana asked, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "For luck, all right?"

He grinned at her. "With you here, we don't need it, but thanks anyhow."

Lana blushed. "I guess. Come on. The orientation's about to begin." She took his hand.

"Follow me, gang," Karen suggested, leading them into the building and toward their new classmates.

Chapter 8

[Social Sciences Building, Campus]

About half an hour earlier, Dave sat in his office waiting for the time to tick down to noon. After breakfast, he had wandered back over toward his office, taking a while to look at the campus and allowing himself to adjust to his new role. Well, it's not really a new role. You're back to playing peer advisor again. Get it through your head, Dave. You can do this.

["Ah'll say," the Child concurred.] In the corner, the familiar ebony form with the orange corona appeared.

["Yes?" the medievalist asked, setting the book he was reading down on the desk. "What's up?"]

["Nothin' much. Ah jus' wanna meet th' new recruits," he replied. "Don't worry. Ah'll stay quiet."]

That would be a first.

["Ah heard that!"]

The professor smiled in spite of himself. "Just testing."

["Ya'll like livin' dangerously, don't ya?"]

"You know me. Never a dull moment," Dave deadpanned, glancing at his watch. "Speaking of the kids, it's almost time. See you soon, okay?"

["Right," the Child concluded, disappearing into the background.]

"Great. Time to go face the music," he sighed, walking out of the office and out the side door. There, he saw Steve and Natalie approaching him. "Hey, what's up?"

"Everyone's set over there," the agent told him. "Let's go."

The trio quickly made their way into the Student Center and up the stairs to the Faculty Club. There, he saw Karen waiting with Mika, Clark, and Lana. "Hi! How was your morning?"

"Great," Karen assured him. "They got to know each other and I took them on a tour of the city. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," he told her. "I'm glad you did that. Thank you."

At that moment, a portal formed, allowing Cybelle to step into the room along with Miranda. "Hello. Sorry I can't stay, but there's urgent business back in Althanor. I wanted to bring Miri for the big event. Dave, can you have Deirdre bring her back later?"

"Absolutely," he agreed. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh huh. Just need to keep an eye on some things," the priestess indicated, stepping back through the mists.

"Thanks, Auntie," Miri expressed.

"My pleasure," Cybelle accepted before vanishing from view.

"Who was that?" Clark asked.

"That's my sister, Cybelle," Dave explained. "She's a priestess like Deirdre."

"Ah," the young man stated, filing that information away for later thought. Then he asked his former classmate, "How's it been going with your Dad?"

"We've been catching up on lost time," she replied pleasantly. "It's been nice to see him and my family again." She walked over and hugged her school chums, aunt, and uncle. "So when do we get started?"

"As soon as Deirdre and Max get here," Dave informed her, ruffling her hair.

"Uncle Dave, come on! Bad enough that Daddy does that, but you're embarrassing me in front of my friends," she complained.

He chuckled. "Okay, Short Stuff, you win."

In spite of the protest, she grinned at him as she joined Clark, Lana, and Mika. Even though technically it's not cool to let the uncle do that, I really don't mind. Of course, I would never admit that publicly.

At that moment, Deirdre popped into the room followed by Max, Mutant X, and the new mutant students.

"Hi, Papa," Deirdre greeted. "Everyone's here."

"Great. Thank you," he told her as he surveyed the five additional students. "Hi, everyone. Please feel free to take a seat and relax. We'll be starting in just a minute." As they did so, he joined Adam on the other side of the room. "Everything come out all right?"

"Just fine," the leader stated. "Their scans were okay. We've got a really special group here."

"I gathered that." the professor smiled, walking back to rejoin Eve and Max who were sitting at the front of the room. Off to the side, he saw Steve and Natalie accompanying half of the new students at one table. On the other side, Mutant X and the other students watched him carefully.

"Hi again, everyone. I'm Dr. David Dubois, a History professor here. I'm a mutant as well. I look forward to seeing you in my Western Civ. Class. Dr. Messenger?" Dave started.

Eve stood and introduced herself, "I'm Dr. Eve Messenger, a Religion professor and expert on Eli. While I'm not a mutant, I know your type really well. Several of you are in my Religion 100 class, and I'll look forward to seeing you as well."

Steve was next. "Hi. I'm Agent Steven Petersen of the FBI. Don't worry; the Bureau's not going to take you in. I'm here to work with your profs and make sure that you're safe. Good luck with the classes."

Then Natalie got up. "Dr. Natalie LeBeau, Tucson PD. Welcome."

"You know Adam and the others," Dave noted. "Clark?"

The young man stood. "Hi, Clark Kent from Smallville, Kansas."

"I'm Lana Lang. Also from Smallville, Kansas."

Mika cleared her throat. "Michelle Montoya...although I like to be called 'Mika'. Great to see you all!"

The other students also introduced themselves individually.

Miri was last. "I'm Miranda Arighatto although I prefer to be called 'Miri'."

"Well, there you have it," Dave concluded. Then seeing Xena and Gabrielle enter the room, he added, "Well almost."

"I'm Xena and this is Gabrielle. Welcome, everyone," the warrior introduced herself and her companion.

"Okay, any questions?" Dave asked. Seeing no hands, he continued, "Okay, gang. We've got quite a tour ahead of us. If you have a question, please stop me, okay? Next stop, the library."

The group got up and followed him out of the room, heading outside. Once there, they waited a minute for Angie and Francesca to show up before starting the campus tour. Once that had happened, Dave started them on their odyssey of self-awareness.

Chapter 8

[University Library]

Caitlin looked at her watch. 12:30, almost show time. Walking out of her door, she turned to her assistant.

"Dr. Sommers, it's almost time for you to meet with David's group. Winnie Henderson and Annie Castalaine are waiting for you in the lobby," Mary Sue informed her.

The dean smiled to herself. Time to go help David move forward. With that, she stepped into the elevator and headed downstairs.

****

Meantime, Clark and Lana marveled at the university's size. Granted, they had seen the buildings and other things during their last visit. However, with the GSA mess, it didn't quite soak in all of the way. Walking up to the mall area, they admired the buildings and the majestic palm trees.

"This is something, isn't it?" he asked.

"It sure is," she agreed, squeezing his hand while her eyes sparkled. "This will be something else."

He nodded as they headed for the Main Library and the next stage of their tour.

****

Adam took a look around at the facilities that the group was walking through. True, he had been to college many years before and he had seen this campus during the team's last visit to the desert. However, this was something different. He wasn't here just as the researcher or team leader, but rather, almost as a proud father. Seeing this event happen makes all of our work worthwhile. I hope it succeeds. I truly do. It has to...for all of our sakes.

He snapped back to reality as the group walked into the library's lobby. The facility's entry level opened in many directions that the young minds here would explore at their leisure. Hearing the 'wows' and seeing the awed looks on some faces, he knew that the world was about to become their oyster. I'll definitely need to let Jesse, Brennan, Emma, and Shalimar spend some time here if they wish to. David and Angie, thank you for this experience.

****

As he prepared to turn things over to Caitlin, Dave observed Adam. Here's to all of us. Hopefully, we make this dream come true.

["Isn't that something?" Angie asked through their link.]

["Yes it is," he agreed, smiling and hugging her shoulders.]

For a minute, he allowed the scene to continue before starting. "Okay, everyone. This is the main library here at the university. It is my pleasure to introduce my colleagues, Winnie Henderson, who works on the Reference desk, and Annie Castalaine, our Religion bibliographer. They'll be assisting with the tour."

"Hi," Annie greeted pleasantly. "Welcome to our university. If you have any questions once we get started, please don't hesitate to ask! We look forward to seeing you and helping you with your papers."

Winnie waved and smiled shyly.

"Now, here's the woman who runs this fine place, Dr. Caitlin Sommers. Dean Sommers?" Dave announced.

Caitlin continued, "Thank you, Dr. Dubois. Good afternoon, everyone. I know you all have a lot to do this afternoon with the tour and getting settled in, but on behalf of the University administration, I wanted to greet you personally. There are going to be many challenges for all of you in the classroom over the next four years as well as in the world. You are a very unique group, and we have every confidence in you. All I can offer you is the same advice I give to other incoming freshmen: be diligent with your assignments, treat others, as you would like to be treated, and most importantly, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask questions of any of us. We're here to help you."

For a minute, she stood silently, allowing the students to soak her words in before continuing, " Speaking now as a member of the community here, you've met several representatives of different groups here and you will apparently meet two others tonight. Remember, as you move ahead, we will do our best to insure your safety and the learning experience that you are entitled to. In exchange, we ask that you all utilize your...talents...safely and not hurt others. You are paving the way for others such as yourselves. All of you are vital in proving those who would view you as dangerous wrong. It's all up to you. Thank you for your time."

"Thank you," Dave expressed, a smile on his face. "For the record, she gave Angie, Karen, and me that same bit of advice when we started here. Please, feel free to ask questions. Okay, let's get on with the tour.

With that, the group followed the three librarians and the dean into the facility.

****

The new students, Max, and Mutant X discovered many things about the university that afternoon. Most notably, that much of the history wasn't in a textbook-it was a series of living experiences from others similar to themselves who had attended school there, had visited there, or just passed through over the previous 120 years. Benefiting from their shared experiences there, Dave, Angie, and Karen told their stories.

As they walked around, several of the mutants could feel what their guides said. Martin felt the spiritual vibrations of those individuals. Mika heard the animals and insects around them. Lana could see and hear some of them as well.

The latter sighed. This is truly a special place. As they passed by the side of Old Main, she smiled at Clark. "You know what happened here, right?"

"Yeah," he agreed, recalling their earlier adventure there. In the Social Sciences building just diagonally left to them, the GSA had attacked the class, forcing him to come face to face with Professor Dubois's resident Dark Child and the threats surrounding them even here. On their right stood the palm tree under which he had spilled the beans about himself to her...trusting her with his secret and his heart.

"It's going to be great, Clark," she assured him, hugging him tightly and kissing him. Then she realized that everyone was looking at them. "Sorry."

"No problem," Dave grinned warmly, waving it off. "Clark and Lana already have a story of their own from here, as do Adam and his team. Remember, all of our stories are important here, and we need to contribute something to the whole. In those cases, the GSA tried to put a halt to things, but with everyone's help, we overcame the threat. Right, Adam?"

"Absolutely," the former geneticist agreed. "Listen to what he's saying, people. Our ability to work as a team is what will keep us alive against the GSA. While you're going to school here and training with us, be alert and respect those around you."

"And that includes us as well," Emma added, thinking of Alicia Fallone.

Karen looked at Dave for a moment, recalling how many turns their friendship had taken over the years. He's right. Maybe things didn't work out exactly as we had anticipated or hoped at first, but they worked out for the best. It was just as Caroline said to him, 'Now, you're a part of something bigger.' She rubbed her daughter's arm to emphasize that point.

Mika didn't say anything but simply chose to rub her mother's hand. Having grown up around this place, she knew her mother's intent. Now, it's our turn.

"Okay!" Angie cut in, speaking to the entire group. "Who wants some pizza before our next stop?"

A collective cheer went up from the group. Maybe they were special, but they were still normal in that respect.

Dave, Angie, Eve, and Adam exchanged wry looks as they led the group over to the pizza parlor. This was going to be a lot of fun...a lot of work, but with a lot of fun along the way as well.

Chapter 8 [Later that night]

[Lana's Dorm Room]

Lana sat on her bed with a tired look on her face. With the Professor's help, she and Clark had checked out of the hotel and moved everything over to the dorm. What an outrageous couple of days. She sighed, gazing around the room. By the large window stood two desks with the chairs opposite to each other. The concrete brick walls seemed dull, but she was sure that her soon-to-be-known roommate would bring ideas to fix that detail. I wonder when she'll show up.

Then a knock came from the door. "Hey, is this 323?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yes," Lana replied. "Mika?"

"Lana?" Mika asked, seeing the former cheerleader. "You're my roommate? This is so cool!"

Well, that's one thing in my favor. Lana flashed her new friend a warm smile. "Likewise. Do you need any help?"

"I'm going to bring some stuff this weekend. Maybe we can get Clark to help move me in?" she replied.

"I'll ask him, but I don't think it'll be a problem," Lana agreed. Then she saw the animal carrier. "Do they allow pets here?"

"Not normally," Mika noted, closing the door. "But we're a special case, you might say. This is Misty, my Highland Terrier." She lifted her little friend out of the case and set her on the floor. "We talk a lot."

[Misty looked up at her owner. "You realize how dorky that sounds?"]

"Sorry," Mika apologized, petting the dog.

What the? Lana looked at her roommate curiously. "Did you just apologize to your dog?"

"Yeah, I did," the other girl indicated. "I told you we do talk. She understands me and I understand her."

Lana scratched her head before it dawned on her. "That's your special talent, isn't it? You can talk to animals?"

["She gets it. Ooh...three points!" Misty chortled.]

["Cool it," Mika instructed. "She's being careful."]

"That's so neat, Mika," Lana complimented, holding her palm out for Misty to sniff. After the latter had done so, she rubbed Misty's head gently. "She's really good, Mika."

"She is," Mika concurred, smiling warmly at the terrier. "So is Clark all set?"

"I think he's helping his roommate right now. We're going to take a walk later," Lana indicated.

"Now? Lana, is that safe?"

"Trust me. Clark and I can handle ourselves quite well," Lana assured her. And since Detective Miles is going to be close by, I think we'll be fine.

"If you say so," Mika relented. "So what do we want to do first to liven this place up?"

For a while yet, the girls talked about those things....

*****

[Clark's Dorm Room]

Clark finished hanging his shirts up and putting things in the plastic drawers he had in the closet. As with Lana, he looked around at the drab concrete, wondering what he would put up to make things seem homier. On his desk, a few pictures provided an initial touch. We're all moving on with our lives. He studied the group picture taken in the Torch just before Pete left for UCLA and wondered how his friends were making out. Chloe, Pete, and Lex, I'm here for you. His eyes then rested on his girlfriend's face and he smiled warmly. Lana, I'm so glad you're here with me for this experience. I love you.

Then a knock came from the door. "Yes?" he asked.

"Is this 456?" a voice asked from the hall.

"Sure is," Clark agreed, opening the door to find Martin Littleclaw standing there. "You're my roommate?"

The Native American nodded, remembering how they had gotten along so well at the pizza parlor earlier. "Indeed. It seems we both did well in that department." He smiled warmly at his friend.

Clark grinned and shook his roommate's hand. Both his parents and he had worried that he would end up with somebody really strange. Granted, he didn't know Martin that well, but already, he sensed that things would work out just fine. "Absolutely. Need a hand with your things?"

"If you don't mind, I would appreciate that very much," Martin accepted. "Follow me."

****

[A half hour later] (Additional Note:  Spoiler for Smallville: "Skinwalkers")

Clark and Martin hefted the last box up the stairs and into the room. While it would have taken the former three minutes at top speed to do so, they used the time to talk some more, getting to know more about each other.

To Clark, Martin reminded him a lot of Kayla Buckwalter, his deceased friend from two years back in that the shaman was so in sync with the ways of his tribe and a skin walker as well. Accordingly, he relaxed around his friend.

"We are all special, Clark, in our own way," Martin stated. "You don't have to hide who you are from me or our group of friends."

"Excuse me?" the farm boy inquired.

Martin smiled. "Relax, Clark. Your secret is safe with me. Just as I have my gifts, so too do you. Your aura is very strong." He clapped his younger friend on the shoulder. "You are truly special as is Lana. You two have a special bond. May it last for a long time."

"Thank you," Clark accepted. "I'm so used to hiding what I am. I just need some time to open up."

Martin shrugged. "We've all been there, Clark, as has the Professor. We're not on a time clock here. Just know, you're among friends. We'll watch out for each other, all right?" He held his hand out.

Clark smiled and clasped his roommate's hand. "Absolutely." Looking at his watch, he saw it was time to meet Lana. "Do you mind if I leave you alone for a while. Lana and I were going to take a walk."

"Certainly," Martin approved. "Enjoy your walk. I'll be up for a while yet."

Clark hustled down the stairs and out into the courtyard. There he found Lana waiting for him. Her skin glistened in the pale moonlight and her eyes sparkled. Don't wake me up if I'm dreaming. "Hi."

She smiled. "Hi." After they kissed, she giggled. "That's more like it. How's it going?"

"Okay. I was helping Martin to move in. He's my roommate," he commented.

"No kidding?" she asked. "Well, that'll make your folks feel better. I did all right in that department too." She smiled. "Mika Montoya's my roommate."

"Karen's daughter? That's great. We got great roommates at least," he declared, as they headed toward the Mall area and north toward Speedway.

"And I've got you," she told him.

"Who's got who?" he cracked, rubbing her shoulder.

"I think we have each other," she concurred, giving his hand a squeeze, as they approached the Fine Arts Museum. "We're here and it's 9:30."

He looked around at the deserted campus. "They did say 9:30, right?"

"I believe so," she replied. "The detective's close by."

"And you're right," Nick agreed while alighting next to them. "Please come in. Dr. Harris is waiting upstairs." He held the door open for them and then guided them to the night curator's office.

The two students admired the artwork, as they passed through the halls. They would definitely need to make several trips to this place. As they reached the top of the stairs, they saw a slender raven-haired woman with a beige top and a matching skirt waiting for them.

"Clark and Lana, right?" the woman asked, smiling warmly.

"That's right," Clark agreed. "Dr. Harris?"

She nodded and shook their hands. "It's good to meet you at last. From what Detective Miles says, you're two quality people."

Lana looked at the curator curiously. "You're a vampire too, aren't you?"

Alyce shrugged. "Yes, I am. That's why I work at night. It's not bad work if you can get it."

"I'll second that," Nick concurred. "We're also a couple." Seeing the surprised looks on the students' faces, he chuckled. "Yes, vampires can also have relationships." Taking a deep breath, he changed the subject. "We also wanted to welcome you here on behalf of the Community."

"You mean the vampire Community?" Clark inquired, recalling what he had said at the Duboises' condo during their first visit.

"Exactly. As city Elder, I'm making this arrangement between our groups a priority. I also wanted to welcome you both back here and to wish you luck with your classes," Nick reported.

"The door's open whenever you want to talk, guys," Alyce invited warmly. "Please feel free."

"Thank you. We'll do that. By the way, Detective, we never had the chance to thank you for your help," Clark expressed.

Nick shrugged. "That's what I do. No thanks needed. It was my pleasure."

Lana smiled and hugged Clark's shoulders. She did feel right at home. Granted, tomorrow might make it feel differently, but for that moment, she felt that way.

Chapter 9 [Next morning]

Clark waited in the courtyard for Lana to meet him. As luck would have it, they had their first class, Intro to World Literature, together. It figures that it would be Literature, my worst subject. Seeing his girlfriend walk down the stairs with her roommate, he smiled.

"Hey, Clark, guess what? Mika's in there with us," Lana announced, kissing him on the cheek.

"Cool," he agreed, returning the gesture. Seeing their friend standing back and admiring the scene, he asked, "Ready to go, Mika?"

"Hmmm? Oh, I was just waiting for you two to finish. Don't wanna cut in, you know?" she laughed good-naturedly, her eyes twinkling at them. It's just like Mom said. It does pick me up to see them like that. I hope I find someone like that too.

Lana rolled her eyes and smirked. "See what I have to put up with? Come on."

The trio walked over to the Modern Languages Building and found the lecture hall. There, they saw Samantha, Sebastian, and Michelle waiting for them.

"Hey, guys," Michelle greeted. "Good to see you here."

"First class for all of you too?" Clark inquired.

Their friends nodded.

Sebastian sighed. "I guess we can go with strength in numbers, right?"

"Absolutely," Samantha concurred.

"You've got that right," Mika agreed, as she sat down.

Clark and Lana slid into their places as well, waiting for the professor to show up.

Then they saw Dr. Alvaro walk in and look around the room.

When she saw the students, Francesca stopped and allowed a brief smile. Dave's students are here bright and early. What a good start. As the bell rang, she called things to order. "Hello, everyone. This is Introduction to World Literature and I'm Dr. Alvaro. Welcome to the class." She picked up the syllabi and began passing them out. "Here's your syllabus with the assigned readings for each class period. Please have them done before you come. Also, you have your discussion sections as well every Friday. Any questions...?"

****

[5:00]

It was a whirlwind day for the students, as they met with three of their classes apiece for the first time and managed to survive the lines over at the bookstore. They were glad when the last class let out for the day at 4:50, allowing them to walk back to the Union for a quick dinner. When everyone had picked out their food, they met at a table over in the corner.

"So how did you all make out?" Mika wondered.

"My art and music classes went fine," Samantha indicated, spearing some pasta with her fork.

"Western Civ. was okay," Sebastian agreed. "Professor Dubois gave a good intro lecture today. He's a pretty funny guy. I wonder why people are so intimidated by him."

Mika, Clark, and Lana gave each other knowing looks, having seen the reason for the reaction.

"How did your classes go, guys?" Michael wondered.

"We made it," Clark replied. "This is going to be quite an adjustment."

"I think that's true for all of us," Lana concurred. "But we're all in this together. Right?"

"Absolutely. Speaking of which, we also have to meet Dr. Kane on Saturday. Does anyone know what that's about?" Mika inquired.

I have an idea, but let him say it. "Well, just like our other classes, Mika, I guess we'll have to wait and see," Lana indicated, looking over at Clark again. She was definitely glad to have these new friends around them and knew that they would all stick it out together.

And so, the first day went....

Chapter 8 [A month later....]

Clark and Lana walked out of the Economics Building on a Friday afternoon. Their classes had proven to be challenging as advertised between quizzes and the amounts of assigned reading. Still, they were enjoying themselves and getting to know the other "special" ones like themselves. Heading for the Student Union, they observed the constant activity of the students running to class or just to get to another place in general.

"It's something, isn't it?" he asked.

She exhaled deeply and smiled. "It is. But, I really think we made the right decision."

"Yeah? I might remind you of that one after Adam's training session tomorrow," he cracked.

She chuckled. Maybe the others found them to be difficult, but she enjoyed the chance to test herself. It's the chance not to be the fairy princess anymore. Emma had really been a great help in that regard, getting her to relax and not worry about outside tensions. "We'll see."

As they descended the stairs, the duo saw Michelle, Mika, and Samantha sitting at a corner table.

"Hi," he greeted. "How's everything?"

"We just handed in the essays for Dr. Messenger," Michelle shrugged. "Mine was okay, I guess. She really helped me."

"Mom warned me it would be hard at first. I don't know-with Uncle Dave's guidance, it wasn't that bad," Mika added.

"That class he gave over in the library along with Professor Castalaine made a difference for me. I think my paper's going to be okay," Samantha said. Looking up at their two friends, she asked, "Want to join us?"

"Sure. Thanks," Lana accepted, pulling out a chair and sitting down. After Clark did the same, she asked, "Mika, I don't mean to be intrusive, but why do you call Professor Dubois, 'Uncle Dave'?"

"That's okay. He's always been like an uncle to me, I guess. He and Auntie Angie are my godparents. Mom and Dad are the same for the twins and Deirdre," Mika answered with a shrug sipping on her coffee.

"Sounds good to me," Clark indicated, twisting the top off of a Pepsi.

"Sorry for being so abrupt. It's been a long week," Lana apologized, feeling a bit flustered.

"It's okay. We're all going through the same thing," Mika said reassuringly. "Well, it's almost time to meet Uncle Dave over at Social Sciences. Shall we?"

"Sounds good. See you guys in Astronomy," Lana concluded.

"Absolutely. But we'll be in class tomorrow as well, right?" Samantha asked, her brow arched and a humorous smile on her face.

"Right."

"See you all later," Clark told them as he and his two female companions headed back for the stairs.

As they left, Michelle grinned. Thank you, Emma.

****

[Dubois residence]

Two hours later, the dinner plates were being cleared away in the Dubois condo. Dave, Angie, Francesca, and Eve enjoyed having the three students over for dinner once a week. It gave them a chance to talk outside of the classroom.

"How are you all doing?" he asked them.

"We're all right," Clark replied. "Just trying to get ready for your midterm."

"Don't be in too big of a rush," Angie advised, casting a humorous verbal slap at her husband. "One never knows what kind of an impression that will make on a professor's ego."

"I don't know, Angie. Maybe that enthusiasm might wash off on their classmates," Eve disagreed.

"Michelle and Samantha are enjoying your class, Dr. Messenger, as am I," Mika complimented.

"I can tell," the former messenger mentioned, sipping on her coffee. "Keep up the good work."

Dave looked at the clock. 6:00. Hmm...I hope everyone's in place. "Excuse me," he said, walking into his study and checking the computer to make sure the settings were right. Okay, we're looking good so far. Entering the chat program, he saw that Miri was already online.

Dave: Hey, Short Stuff. How are you?

Miri: Hi, Uncle Dave. I'm fine. Dad will be back in a bit. Everything okay back there?

Dave: Hang on.

Walking back into the other room, he said, "Clark, Lana, want to come in here for a minute? Miri's online if you want to talk to her."

Lana grinned and walked quickly into the other room. I hope she's okay. Sitting down in front of the computer, she typed, Miri?

Miri: Yes, who is this?

Lana: This is Lana. How are you?

Miri: Oh wow! I'm great! Hey, I'll be out there in a couple of weeks to see Uncle Dave and Auntie Angie. Would you and Clark mind introducing me to all of your new friends?

Lana: As many as we can manage! Clark says hi by the way.

Miri: Great. Wait a minute. Hey, Chloe just came on.

Lana: I see that. I'm going to talk to her. Hang on. Is she going to be surprised.

****

[Dorm Room, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY]

In her dorm room, Chloe sat typing away on an email message to her father. Classes were going okay, but she wished that her last exam had gone better. At least the student newspaper likes my columns. She signed off, wondering what was going on with her friends. Lex Luthor sent occasional emails to say hi. His messages always had something subliminal in them and it was hard to tell where he was coming from in them. One of these days, I need to figure you out, Lex.

Staring at the picture on her bureau, she studied her friends' faces. Pete was doing all right out at UCLA. Clark and Lana were making some progress at Arizona under the Duboises' tutorage. Those must be interesting classes.

Then her computer speaker beeped at her.

What the? She looked at the screen to see a little screenshot in the corner. It said: Message from Lana: Hi! Wanna talk?

Talk about perfect timing! She logged in and typed: Hey, what's going on? How are you doing?

Lana: We're okay here. Professor Dubois is letting us use his computer to chat with you. Our classes...are well...interesting to say the least.

Chloe (after allowing herself to chuckle): I'll bet. Classes here are a challenge. I hate Algebra! History's proving to be a bear. Arrrgggh!!!

Lana: You should take it from Professor Dubois. He makes it interesting.

Chloe: History interesting? That would be a first. So, how's our resident farm boy?

Lana: He's right here. Hang on.

Just before Clark was going to start typing, Dave motioned to him. "Let me ask her something, please."

He handed their host the keyboard.

He typed. Hi, Chloe. Do you have a set of headphones with your computer?

Chloe: Sure. I can plug them into the speaker. Why?

Dave: How about a microphone?

Chloe: Yeah, why?

Dave: Plug them in if you would.

Chloe: Okay, now what? Then she saw a message on the Chat screen. Lana invites you to do a voice chat. Click here to accept. Sure! As she clicked, her chat screen configured the computer. What's going on?

Dave: Do you have everything on?

Chloe: Yes, why?

Then over the headphones, she heard Clark. "Hi, Chloe. Can you hear me?"

Fumbling with the microphone, she responded, "Yes! Clark, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," he responded, a smile crossing his face. "How are you hanging in there?"

"Well, as I was telling Lana, classes are going okay. I miss you guys though," she told him.

"It isn't the same without you here, Chloe. That's for sure," he stated. "You ought to come here for a visit."

The reporter smiled and her eyes sparkled. They haven't forgotten me. Oh come on, Chloe, of course not. "Sure, Clark, maybe you can send somebody up here to pop me down there and back."

"We'll see what we can do," Dave's voice chuckled in the background. "Meantime, don't keep Miri hanging, okay?"

"Right," Lana said, enlarging the first chat window and typing Miri, can you do a voice chat?

Miri: Sure. Why? Is Chloe chatting with you?

Lana: Yes. Jump in. I'm sending the invite out now.

Miri: Cool. Hang on. She grabbed her father's headset, plugged it into the speaker, and asked, "Hi! Anyone there?"

Is that? No way! "Miranda?" Chloe's voice asked through her earphones. "Is that you?"

"Yeah. Chloe, how are you?" Miri inquired.

"I'm feeling better now. Thanks!" Chloe responded. "Are the others still there?"

"Right here," Lana assured her. "Where were we?"

"You were about to let me type," Clark cracked, kissing her cheek.

For the next three hours, the four kids were having fun catching up on things, cracking jokes, and reassuring each other.

Watching this scene, Dave and Angie smiled contentedly. This connection was important to their young friends. Certainly, there wouldn't be a problem in letting them do something like this on a weekly basis?

Not as far as I'm concerned, Dave mused. Looking at his wife, he could see that she agreed with him. It was settled: they would have this as a set chat time for the students.

["Come on," Angie urged through their link. "Let them have their conversation in peace."]

"Okay," he agreed, joining her and their other guests in the front room. Things were working out for the best after all. Perhaps this will work. One can only hope.

Conclusion
[Genomex]

Lionel Luthor stormed into Genomex. Once again, Lex had defied him in going out with the Sullivan girl. My son was meant for better women than that poor trash. Reaching his office, he sat down and allowed his rage to cool a bit. Best not to let the underlings see you out of control. For several minutes, he sat there, staring off into space, contemplating what might have been. He had intended to send his son out to the countryside in order to teach him the lessons of Empire. Instead, the latter had fallen prey to the wiles of the conquered, falling to their meager levels and ignoring the glory for which he was meant.

It's time to teach you a lesson, Lex. And what a bitter lesson it will be indeed. One's friends make you weak. It's time to learn you can't defy me.

Looking around him, he thought about what his friend, Mason Eckhart, contemplated in this very chair and in the room here. Granted, the pictures and effects, which he had added since acquiring the facility, livened things up a bit, but the area still echoed his colleague's sterility and coldness. Then his mind shifted to the jail cell where his friend, Stuart Dubois, rotted for the alleged crimes against his children. You were too obsessed with the genocide of new mutants, Mason. I, on the other hand, will turn some of them to my advantage. Fight fire with fire. Along with Lex's friends, I will take down Stuart Dubois's freakish offspring as well. I promise you, Mason, they will pay for what they did to us all.

With that, he left the office and headed down to the genetic research area. There, he found the rows upon rows of stasis pods. What a waste. Still, they can be put to use particularly a certain one.

Dr. Harrison, the chief researcher, approached him. "Mr. Luthor, can I be of some assistance?"

"Yes. This is where the new mutants are kept for future study, are they not?" the businessman asked.

"Indeed. Why?" the slender, gray-haired man asked.

"I want to revive one. I believe he is designated Patient 0.0," Lionel replied frankly.

Harrison fidgeted with his glasses for a second. He wants to revive a new mutant? Why? "We have other new mutant GSA agents."

"Not like this one," the new administrator asserted. "Take me to him."

"Very well," the other man conceded, leading him down a corridor into another area where the earliest new mutant children of Genomex rested in their pods. Pressing a button, he caused a circle of the containers to spin slowly into position. After a minute, they stopped and one snapped open, releasing the gases within.

Lionel stepped over to survey the sleeping man's face. He seems so at peace. If the computers are right, he'll be the perfect instrument of vengeance. "This is Patient 0.0?"

"He is," Harrison stated, allowing a bit of nervousness into his voice.

At that moment, the patient's eyes snapped open. "W...Where am I? Who are you?"

"I'm Lionel Luthor, the new administrator of this facility, and you are Gabriel Ashlocke, are you not?"

"I am indeed," the new mutant replied. "But why would you need my help? These sheep hate me."

"I believe we can help each other. You see, I have some people I need to eliminate," Lionel told him.

"And, what does that have to do with me?"

Lionel frowned. This one is going to be trouble. I'll have to keep an eye on him. "I believe you know one of them-a certain biogeneticist who used to work here: Adam Kane."

Ashlocke's face betrayed a tiny bit of rage before he regained his composure and allowed a cocky smile to form on his face. The little man doesn't know why I was imprisoned in the tube there nor does he care. He'll be the perfect instrument. Meantime, I'll make Adam pay for what he did. "I'll be glad to help you deal with him. Now, can I get something to eat? Forgive me, but I've been asleep for so long."

"Absolutely," Lionel agreed, leading his liberated ally toward the main part of the compound.

As they walked off, Harrison trembled nervously. At the first opportunity, he would need to find out more about Ashlocke before he was the doom of them all.

****

[Tucson-late Saturday afternoon]

The sun set over Sabino Canyon, painting the sky with gorgeous red, orange, and yellow hues. The air still warm from the day's heating started to cool a bit.

Clark looked out over the city as he munched on his roast beef grinder. It had been quite a week for them all between exams and Adam's latest training session. Fortunately, the adjustment hadn't been too bad. Martin's a great roommate and I have other help as well. He looked to his right at his companion.

Lana sipped on her Diet Pepsi and snuggled up against him. She was definitely feeling challenged by their courses and workouts. Still, it was for the best and being up here with him was the best part of all. He's such a romantic. "Clark?"

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Thanks for being here with me," she replied.

"Thanks for coming out here with me," he informed her, giving her a kiss.

She smiled warmly, allowing her eyes to sparkle into his. Maybe the schoolwork was hard and there were a lot of new faces, but as long as they had each other, they would be happy. And in the end, that's what counted most.

THE END (for now)

(Thanks for reading this piece and for your interest! Now, that you've met the U of A's special freshmen and I've set up all of the events, now it's time to set the events in motion. In the next piece, "Lionel's Revenge," Dave and company set out for their class reunion as well as their families' gathering to celebrate Miri's homecoming. What happens will shock everyone as the GSA spoils both parties and set many things in motion. And a dear friend to Clark and Lana returns as well. Stay tuned!

Thanks again for your interest!)

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