Pietro stepped over and touched her hair, kissing her forehead, "Promise. Have a nap, I'll be back soon"

She sighed, "Alright. I'll be here." She curled up and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile as the x-squad came in to see what the commotion was about, it was a shocking scene.

Collosus was strapped to Sinister's operating table with Nathan standing over him, trying to cut through his metal skin with an intense look in his eyes.

Scott bit his lip, He KNEW letting Nathan go was a bad idea. "X-Squad let's move out."

Pietro ran over and grabbed Nathan by the arms but he turned sharply and swung the blade in his hands before Pietro could get a good grip. "What-no-get away from me!" Nathan yelled, backing away in a panic and brandishing the knife. Thankfully he still had the collar on, so his powers were less than usable.

The rest of the Squad came into the room. Scott freed Colossus from the table with his laser eyes. "You alright?" Scott asked holding a hand out for him to take.

Collosus nodded, "He couldn't get through, I'm fine. I think something's wrong with him"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Nathan yelled as the others surrounded him and took him down. He struggled relentlessly, "LET GO!"

"What was your first clue?" Scott said. "You've got a lot of explaining to do. Take him away."

Bobby knocked him out and they carried him off, back to his old holding cell.

Scott entered the room and sat down. "You have one chance to explain yourself and then I let Rogue touch you." He warned. He was tired of playing games.

Nathan was staring at the table between them, a few moments passed and he basically looked catatonic until finally he blinked and spoke, "they didn't want me in the lab anymore..." he whispered, "probably for the best-maybe-that's what I thought. No big deal, not at all-just... just no more experiments... no more... learning..." his gaze lifted from the table, looking at Scott, "your eyes... I think I can fix them" he lifted his hand, reaching towards scott's visor, "I just need to see them-I need to see..."

The restraints kept Scott just out of reach. He sighed and got up, heading into the other room.
"Thoughts?" He asked the room of experts including Hank, Phil, Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi, Doctor Nemesis and a few others.
Kitty had stayed behind after Scott dismissed everyone else. "It's like he's suffering from withdrawal.."

"no-come back!" Nathan pleaded, "I can help you! I CAN HELP YOU!" he yelled, struggling against the restraints as Scott walked out.


Phil rubbed the back of his head uncertainly, "Perhaps we should not have kicked him out of the lab"

"There was no way I could continue working next to that... man" Beast shook his head stubbornly, "but all the same, it does seem like some sort of addiction we're dealing with here. He's never had someone to stop him before, for centuries this man has run rampid with his so-called experiments. I suppose it's possible that he actually can't help it... but that only makes him more dangerous in my opinion"

"Is there not something we can do about it?" Phil asked, "there have been many mutant addictions-or rather, there will be through the years. They aren't terribly common but they are very real in my time. Curing the addiction is-was-you know what I mean. Still undergoing studies."

"And what if we do make progress?" Beast turned to Phil, "and he manages to get a hold of it for five, ten, twenty years or so? Then a mutant ends up dead and we shrug our shoulders and say 'well there are bound to be slip ups now and again'."

"Hmmm... Perhaps cutting him cold turkey was not the best idea. With any addiction it is terribly dangerous to do so.... And that is exactly what we did. No lab, no job. Nothing to past the time. You even refused to let him see the one person he could depend on and talk to. I'm referring of course to your daughter." Dr. Nemesis looked toward Phil and Beast. "No wonder he cracked. You taken away everything that made him sane... Mind you, if I had known he had this problem I would never have recommended the things I did.

Yes, he's an alternate version of Mr. Sinister, Hank. But you can't treat him like he is the same man. What if we looked at you the same way as that... what was his name? Dark Beast acts. I'm sure you wouldn't like it very much either."

"I have to agree with Dr. Nemesis on this." Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi said. "Perhaps if we found him some small tasks for him to do... in a controlled environment."

"This is completely different from that" Beast growled, "Dark Beast is a monster, I haven't done anything of the sort that he did. Nathan however has killed people with his experiments before-he admitted it himself."

"It was just an example Hank" Phil assured, "We know you're different, but so is Nathan, in other ways. He actually has expressed an interest to be better than Sinister. You may be right, we can probably never fully trust him but we can still help him to an extent."

Beast shook his head and sighed, "do what you think is right then but I don't want to be a part of it. Maybe it's wrong but everytime I look at him I see that monster and I can't be held accountable for what may happen if we are ever alone in a room together." he turned to leave.

"Doctor McCoy. I understand your concern and it has been noted. Go... Spend some time with you daughter." Dr. Nemesis said, putting a hand on his shoulder before turning back to the others. "Perhaps we could find a job at the Helping Hand? No actual contact with patients but as a console?" He suggested.

Beast left and Phil turned to look through the two-way glass at Nathan in thought. The boy was rocking back and forth in his chair, mumbling about genetics, "... or we could keep on this path... if he can be cured of it then perhaps continuing to cut him off cold Turkey may yet work, as long as we keep him locked in here."

"That seems a bit cruel..." Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi stated. "And if you cure him, what then? What will he do with his time? He doesn't seem to have any other interests then Science. He'll crack again for sure!" She argued. "What if this is just part of his mutation? You won't ask Beast to shave off all his hair because he's blue and hairy."

*

Meanwhile.

Ciara was humming to herself as she hopped out of the shower and into some clothes. Though her clothes weren't fitting right. It must have been from all the training she'd had. Altered her shape a little bit. She'd have to ask Pietro to retake her measurements... sexfully. She giggled to herself.

She went downstairs to make herself a cup of tea but couldn't find anything in the cabinets... Of course they were empty. She'd been gone for months. She skipped along the path to the main house and pulled on the side door that lead into her old room...

It didn't open.

"What on earth..." She pulled again and again. Finally she took a deep breath and pulled with all her might. The door opened and a mountain of stuff came rushing out of her. Blankets, dresses, a basket of pearls had toppled over onto her. She blinked, ":/ What the crap!?" Since when had this room become a storage room... No, not a storage room... A treasury. Ciara climbed over a pile of blankets and into a small path. "Wooah..." It was incredible. The room sparkled with shiny objects.

"Half the battle with addicts is to get them clean, is it not?" Phil replied, "Then you get them to refocus."



Beast strolled by on his way to the lab and paused at Ciara's door, "... Droplet?" e questioned, calling into the room.

Ciara had been running around, laughing and stumbling all over the room. She jumped atop a mountain of gold coins with what looked like an old pirate's hat and a sword, "Arrr, who enters my lair..." She laughed at his surprised look and slid down the mountain. "Ahhh... I see you guys have found a use for my old room... What is all of this stuff from?

"Oh... uhhh.... this is all presents that Namor sent you" Beast replied hesitantly, "It's been... interesting. We didn't know where to put it all"

Ciara's shoulders fell forward, the hat slid to the side and the sword to the ground. "Presents? Why would he be sending me presents? I don't understand. All we did was talk... Wait. Are you saying he's COURTING ME?!" She nearly yelled. "But. But. That... That doesn't make... I mean... All we did was talk." She was starting to freak out a little bit. "What the hell happened when I was gone that would drive a man to... to THIS?!"

"err..." Beast scratched the fur on the back of his neck, "That... you would have to take up with Mystique..."

Her eye twitched. "Where is she." She demanded, trying to contain a slow rage that was building inside her.

"... probably hanging out with Emma Frost" Beast replied, stepping out of her way.