It was a bit unnerving to hear a voice that was not her own in her head. Again. Instantly, she mentally recoiled and focused with all her strength on a good game of cards. This one called Red Devil, a fun variation between speed and solitaire. It was an impulse and completely instinct move on her part. It took her a moment to realize she was even doing that. Not wanting to be rude to her rescuer, Clare forced herself to calm down and think back a reply.

"I'm alright. Huh... thank you for asking?" The giving a sheepish grin, she tried again, "Thank you for showing up. It wasn't what I was expecting to happen today. I assumed that because things were so peaceful yesterday that today would be just as smooth." The leader's threat came to the front of her memories, but it was not the threat against her that she paid close attention to. It was who was evidently behind all this. Had the City Commissioner hired these thugs to cause problems with mutants? Resisting an impulse to pet the lurcher, Clare slowly stood up and spoke, "But it appears that someone with influence wanted it to get beyond peaceful."

Mike finished up with the van. Shutting and locking the door, he turned and walked over to Clare. He didn't like how white her face was, but it was clear she was in control of herself. No tears or hysterics one would expect from someone else. Glancing at Bastian, he said, "Hey thanks Bastian for coming." He reached over and rubbed the back of Clare's neck and glanced over at Tabitha to see her helping the mutant students who were huddled on the library steps, still clutching their books. "This is the start of something isn't it?" Tabitha was quite a person, compassionately helping those around her even if they were strangers. Few like that in this world anymore.