Generation Next (X-Men fanfic)

Four

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."