So, it was getting cold outside, and most people were bundled up this time of year. Christmas was rapidly approaching, though that wasn't always a happy time for everyone in the world, especially one that ruined old friendships, and lost everything he ever had. Walking up towards the mansion, a young man stood in the center of the driveway, in nothing but a torn t-shirt and a pair of jeans with various rips along the legs. His sneakers were even in bad shape, but that didn't matter to him. The backpack on his shoulder fell to the ground, and a faint groan could be heard from the man.

If this is my last breath, I'd rather it be here.

The thought rang bitter sweetly, as if a sad man reaching for the last of his joy. It was fading from site, the blurring image of the mansion coming and going from sight. He was at the only place he was ever able to call home, and he had lived in quite a few different places. The people here probably hated him, and rightfully so, after all, he was a pathetic excuse for a friend. He betrayed them and went to the Brotherhood, though after venting all his anger left peacefully. On his way back, he was called to a meeting with Norman Osborn, who had offered him a position on the Mighty Avengers.

Though that had turned out to be a deal the young man had come to regret, it pained him that it got him to this very point. His body was battered, bruised, and everywhere between. He was breathing, though shallow and to the verge of non-existant. His steps were wobbly, and his vision finally faded. With the vision gone, and his legs finally giving way, the young man fell to the ground, the only sign of his goal, an arm stretched out towards the mansion. There, laying in the center of the driveway, was the man formally known as Draken, Thomas Anderson..........Frost.

Shiro, staying at the Mansion for the time being, had grown tired of being inside, and so was heading outside for a run. The weather, not truly cold, was more brisk to him than anything else. What was cold to a man who generated plasma similar to that of the sun? Shiro had not gotten far, only to the lawn, when he saw a man laying there, seemingly unconscious. Wary of a trap, he approached slowly, ready to heat up(and raise the forcefield that was part of that process) in a moment. He called out to the prone figure, "Hey! You! Who are you? Are you OK?" and waited to see if there would be a response.

Dania walked silently through the halls, her books in her arms as she went. Stopping by the front door, she opened it and took a look out, shivering at a cold burst of air. She was hoping she could go out and soak up some sun today, but it was much too cold. She could go into a cold coma from this kind of weather if she stayed out too long. But then she saw two shapes out on the driveway. One of them was Sunfire, someone who was mostly just visiting. The other was a stranger who was face down in the driveway. She bit her lip, wanting so badly to go out to help. But then Sunfire powered up and she sighed in relief. With him out there using his powers, she could come out and help bring the stranger inside.

She opened the door and ran outside, following Sunfire over next to the stranger. She knelt beside him and touched his neck, feeling for a pulse. As Sunfire stood there, radiating warmth, she felt more energetic, so she knew she could carry this man inside while Sunfire covered their backs. Just in case this man was being followed by enemies. When she felt a pulse, she smiled a little, glad he was still alive. Without pausing, she rolled him over and hooked her arms under his legs and back, picking him up. Standing, she looked to Sunfire, hoping he would understand that she needed to follow him inside to keep from fainting.

Frost's body remained liveless, and no response was given to Sunfire. Should the man lean in closer, he'd hear shallow breathing, but nothing more. As Dania came rushing out, and felt his pulse, he was aware of the touch, but could make no motion to responde. He felt his body rise, and began to scream inside his own mind. He wasn't dead, that was clear, but he wasn't exactly awake. He needed to get inside and needed to be treated, but he wasn't sure how the X-Men would react to his return. If they inspected his cloths, tears would be quite evident, and even dried blood would be spotted in random spots.

He was fortunate to be able to control cold weather, for that was probably the only thing keeping him alive at this minute. His arm twitched slightly, but perhaps it was just a reaction to being picked up by Dania. He wished he could just wake up and move on his own, but that wasn't quite possible in his current condition. He looked at Sunfire, though his head didn't move, but he was listening. He wanted to give the man an answer, but he was shivering now, even though he himself wasn't quite cold. His body was reacting now, even with him not having full control at the moment.

Sunfire nodded at the blue mutant that joined himself and the one on the ground. Perhaps without thinking, or maybe trusting him to cover her, she checked out the fallen man. Although given her appearance and size, she certainly looked capable of taking care of herself. "Is he alive?" he asked first, before noticing his shivering. "Conscious?" She was already moving to lift him, and seemed to do so easily. She towered over him, somewhere north of seven feet. Distractedly, he thought the blue of her skins quite striking. Must be a new student. He did not know many of them, but she'd certainly have stuck out in his mind.

He followed her back in, asking, "Is he hurt badly? Can he speak?" He hated situations like this, Sunfire was a mutant of action, not a nursemaid or interrogator. He glanced back, not seeing anything in the infrared range indicating anyone hiding. "Domo," directed at the student. "I am Sunfire."

She looked up at Sunfire as he asked her about the stranger's condition. She nodded when he asked if the man was alive, then shook her head to say he wasn't conscious. At least not that she could tell. They headed inside and she looked up at Sunfire as he kept asking her questions. She bit her lip, not wanting to speak, but she had to answer his questions. When she spoke, her voice was barely audible and flames darted from her mouth as she did.

"Not bad. He should live."

She looked down at the unconscious man and slowly lift his shirt to see how badly he was wounded. She saw blood on his clothes, but it didn't look so bad that he might die from his wounds. She was looking him over as best she could, then Sunfire introduced himself and she looked up at him, a little surprised for a moment before she lowered her head again and answered.

"Dania."

Did she really blend in better than she thought? He was the second person to ask who she was. She was practically the school mascot, considering she'd grown up at this place. She supposed she was a little glad that not everyone knew her, but it was still a little surprising.

[Considering Frost is unconscious, I'm going to just let you guys skip me until I get inside the mansion.]

"Do you recognize him? It is not often I am here. Many years, in fact, since my last stay." Shiro left out the details of the somewhat antagonoistic past he and the X-men had together. It was unimportant at the moment. The girl seemed not to know, but perhaps it was simply difficult to recognize him in this state, so still and lifeless.

"I think we must assume he is a mutant. I can feel him radiating cold. It is not Iceman. Do you know of any other cold...users at the Mansion, Dania?" He cursed inwardly. His English wasn't quite up to the task yet, although it was coming back rapidly. The words just weren't coming to mind. "We should get him to the infirmary immediately." The girl seemed quite young, but her mutation made her much physically stronger than Shiro, although he certainly could have lifted Frost. "Is it still in the same place?" Sunfire knew the Mansion had been partially destroyed over the years and it might have changed locations.

Dania shook her head as he asked her if she knew this man. She knew everyone at the school, even the people that were new. And now that she got a good look at him, she recognized Sunfire too. She looked down at the man as Sunfire mentioned the man was cold and she thought for a moment about the question. There were several ice manipulators at the school and she knew most of them, if only by appearance. She turned the man's head and took a careful look at his face. She shook her head and looked up at him.

"Don't know him."

Sunfire asked about the infirmary and she nodded, telling him it was in the same place. She picked Frost up and started to the infirmary. She glanced over at Sunfire as they walked, then looked back down at Frost. She bit her lip a little before speaking, making sure to hold her head up a little so she didn't set Frost on fire.

"Will you stay this time?"

She looked over at Sunfire. She didn't know much about him, but she knew several students liked him and were upset when he left. And Dania was starting to wonder if he could help her learn more about her fire breath.

Frost felt his surrounding suddenly warm up, rather it was from Sunfire, the accidently fire breathing of Dania, or entering, Frost wasn't quite aware of which it was. He just rested in the young woman's arms, and slowly shifted a little. It wasn't enough of a shift to cause Dania to lose her grip, or even great enough to alter how he was resting in her arms. It was just enough of a shift to make it fully aware that he was alive now. His eyes slowly opened, but if one were to look into them, they'd appear glazed over, as if he were almost acting against his own will.

"Storm...." He spoke quietly, almost too soft to even be heard.

He knew he was in the mansion now, though this wasn't due to seeing the interior of the mansion, but from the slightly increased noise he could pick out. He needed to see Storm, he needed to talk to her and set things straight. He just lifted his head slightly, though in the attempt to regain consciousness, he lost it once more, and his head fell limp once more. He knew he needed to see Reyes, well, if she was still the doctor on staff here. Hell, he didn't care who he saw, he just needed his wounds tended to.

Maiya had been heading down the hall heading towards the stairs when she saw them. Sunfire, a student she didn't know very well and...Tom. She rushed toward the group. She got to them just in time to hear Tom say Storm before blacking out again.

"Tom...what did you do to yourself?" she asked before looking up at them. "What happened?" she wasn't being demanding she was just wondering what had happened to the former teacher and her friend.

It was obvious that he wanted to get to Storm but that could wait for just a moment. She wanted to find out what was wrong first. In case they needed to take him to the infirmary before seeing Storm.

She reached forward and gently smacked her hand on his cheek trying to wake him up. "Tom, Tom, wake up. It's me. Maiya. Come on, wake up." she said. She wasn't trying to sound desperate but she couldn't tell. She might have been sound desperate. She just didn't know. All she cared about at the moment was that her friend woke up and was alright.

Shiro was silent for a few moments, pondering Dania's question. Would he stay? Yes, he was certain of that. The unspoken part, why?, bothered him more. It was easy to say it was simply orders from the Japanese government. But he found himself wanting to stay. He had wondered, from time to time, whether leaving the X-men before he had even joined had been such a good idea. Youthful pride no longer served the man he had become quite so well. Giri and ninjo described it well. Duty and personal desire. In this instance, they were in harmony, something he had rarely experienced. But to the girl, he simply replied, "Yes. I will stay, for now."

As the man weakly uttered Storm's name, he wasn't surprised. Storm had long been one of the longer-serving X-men, and one many mutants and students had come across. What did surprise him was the other teenager running down the hall. He relaxed a little as she apparently knew the man, but only a little. Plenty of the X-men's enemies had been students at one point, after all. He stepped to interpose himself between her and the man, ignoring her questions. "Who exactly is he, Maiya?"

Dania looked up and smiled a bit at Sunfire as he said he'd stay. She knew some of the kids at school would like that. She was about to ask him about helping her with her powers, but before she could, the man shifted in her arms and she looked down at him, surprised. He uttered Storm's name and she looked up at Sunfire. Then Maiya came out of nowhere and started trying to wake the man, calling him by name. She looked down as Maiya started patting Tom's cheeks and she struggled a little to hold him still. She wanted to protest, but she was afraid Maiya was too close to and might catch fire. She looked up at Sunfire in helplessness.

Looking back at Maiya, she swallowed a little and looked down at the man. They had to get him to the infirmary. She shifted a little, then slowly moved past Maiya to continue on to the infirmary. Her tail wrapped around her legs a little as she walked, her wings tucking into her back nervously. She looked back at the others in hopes that they were following her. She didn't know how bad his injuries were and they needed to get him to the healers right away.

Tom wasn't fully aware of what was going on, but that was soon going to change whether he wanted it to or not. As he was standing in the mansion, he heard a faint calling, a question about what happened. He wanted to answer, but he was too busy focusing on and figuring out who the voice belonged to. It wasn't the man or woman that was already with him, it was new, but very familiar. Then he felt his cheeks being smacked lighted, and this caused him to stir again. Without a warning, and almost like a zombie, his arm shot up and gripped Dania's shoulder.

"I'm....fine." His voice was weak, but it carried a hint of confidence.

He moved his leg enough to swing it from Dania's grip, and planted it firmly on the ground. He finally let go of Dania's shoulder, and though he stumbled a bit while training to regain his positioning, he simply came to a halt and remained still for a moment. He was shaking his head, and fighting to regain all control, and more importantly, the focus required for his vision right now. After regaining it, he turned towards the man, and didn't recognize him at all. He then turned to the one that seemed to be tending to him, and didn't recognize her, but smiled when she was a dragon like him.

"Maiya?" It had finally hit him who that voice belonged to, and he couldn't help but smile.

He turned and faced Maiya, and simply stood there, unwilling to even attempt walking at this moment. He could at least maintain his balance and stand on his own, so that was a good sign at the moment, but it wasn't enough to give him confidence in walking forward. He wanted to ask about everyone, but he knew there was a better time and place for that. Heck part of him still thought he was being chased by Ares or one of the other Mighty Avengers. He just remained still, smiling as best he could at the young girl he had grown close to before leaving.

Seeing no other X-men had come around, Shiro wondered if he might be the only X-man at the Mansion at the moment. First things first, then. "Do you know who did this to you, Tom?" It felt odd to use the man's name without a proper introduction, but if there was a threat the mansion, they needed to know now. It would fall on Shiro's shoulders to organize them and lead the defense, if it came to that. "Are they still after you? Near the mansion?" It could be a very near thing indeed, if it was mainly the student body, normally much larger, but currently the school was operating with less staff, and fewer students. Suddenly, in a fit of paranoia, he wondered if this 'Tom' could be trusted. He might have gone over to another side, and be the set up man..."Maiya, why don't you take Tom to the infirmary?" Could the young woman's judgement be trusted? Did she have all the facts? Sunfire tried to catch Dania's eye, hoping she would hang back with him.

Maiya was a little surprised when the X-Man stepped in front of her. She looked up at him and smiled. "He's a former teacher here at the mansion. He taught elemental control." she explained so yes she knew him. He wasn't her teacher since at the time she didn't have elemental control over water.

She followed Dania as she carried Tom towards the Infirmary. And was surprised when Frost reached up and grabbed Dania's shoulder stopping their journey. She smiled when he stubornly stood up. Same old Tom.

The fish girl went to him and hugged him. I'm so glad you're back." she said. She knew this would probably surprise the former teacher but she really was happy to see that her friend was back.

When Sunfire spoke up she stepped back. She wondered the same thing. Who would do this to him? And why? She glared. Who did he make mad this time. That would be bad if they were still after him and at the mansion. The fish girl already had enough worries on her mind she didn't need Tom's worries as well.

The girl looked at Shiro when he asked her to take him to the infirmary. Wasn't he going to come with them? But she didn't ask she instead took Tom's arm by the crook of his elbow and led him slowly towards the infirmary.

Dania yelped a little as she felt Tom grab her shoulder and helped him stand up. She stepped back and looked over at Sunfire. He asked her to come with him and she frowned a little, looking back over at Tom and Maiya as they continued onto the infirmary. She moved over to Sunfire and stood beside him, watching silently as the other two left. Once they were out of earshot, Dania turned to Sunfire, cocking her head to the side.

"What is it?"

She watched him silently, waiting for his response. She didn't know why she had to stay behind, she could have picked Tom up if he collapsed again. She looked back over at them, then back up at him. Was he threatened by Tom? Or was he worried about something else? She could understand being cautious about the people who'd done this to Tom, but she wanted to help him get better.

Tom just looked at the man as he asked his question, and all Tom did was frown. Yeah, he knew exactly who did this, but he didn't want to say anything until he had a chance to talk with Storm. He didn't want to cause any unnecessary drama, and that meant keeping this under wraps until he got some advice from Storm. He kenw the minute he joined the Mighty Avengers he was in for life, but he didn't think it would be death if he tried to leave, especially after they turned on his the way they did.

"No, I was blindsided, so I didn't really get a good glimpse of them. As for if they know I'm here or not, I don't think they do." He knew he was lying, but he had to keep to the story until things settled down.

He looked at Maiya with a smile as she hugged him, and he gently returned the hug. He held back a wince of pain, and just drew back as she did. When the man asked Maiya to guide him to the infirmary, a small smile spread across his face. He wanted to talk to Maiya, find out if things were getting better for her or not. He just felt her arm wrap around his elbow, and slowly they proceeded to the infirmary. He forced himself to give off the cool aura, for as long as he remained cool, the pain was pretty dull, and hardly noticed.

"So, how are things Maiya?" He kept the question open-ended, not wanting to force Maiya to talk about her mom if she didn't want to.

Shiro nodded as Tom spoke. "I should go make certain the grounds are secured. In your state, they could have followed you unknowingly." He gave a curt sort of nod to Maiya and Tom.

Sunfire hung back a little, out of hearing distance, before speaking. Dania had stayed, her head cocked to the side, reminding him of a very large bird of prey. He put that image out of his mind. "I know I am not one of the staff here, but something with his story seems wrong. I ask that you keep an eye on him, and Maiya. She knows him, and is trusted, but may do something he asks that she should not. If it is nothing, then Storm does not need to know. If it is something, we go to her."

[exit: Sunfire, going to check the Mansion grounds for whoever attacked Tom]

Maiya sighed when the question came up. He was going to have to know someday, might as well be now. "I'm not doing so well Tom. I've found out who has murdered my mother and it was far worse then I could have ever imagined. She was murdered by my own father, who is a Purifier. And I know that he wants to come after me next. I am under house arrest for my own protection right now." she told him.

As they continued walking Maiya was thinking. Thinking about what Tom did that caused him to end up like this. She had overheard Storm and one of the other X-Men talking about the Avengers and Tom was in the same conversation so she was thinking that maybe it had been them to do this to him. But why? Weren't they supposed to protect people not harm them? And what was the point of it?

'What about you? How have you been, well other than beat up?" she asked.

Dania nodded at Sunfire's instructions and looked after Maiya and Tom, not wanting them to get out of site. So when Sunfire finally went to check the grounds, she turned and trotted after the two, catching up easily. They went slowly, talking about old times. She looked down at Tom, wishing he hadn't hopped out of her arms, he was using up valuable strength. She finally touched his shoulder to get his attention.

"I should carry you. You need your strength."

She looked to Maiya as she spoke, then back at Tom, hoping he wouldn't be too angry. She waited quietly for his response, completely ready to just scoop him up into her arms anyway. They had no idea how extensive his injuries were, he could have internal bleeding, after all. She shifted nervously as she waited for his response.

Tom was absorbed into Maiya's tale, and anger flushed over him. In fact, it was enough anger for him to completely forget his overall lack of strength. Though his pace was slow, he just conitnued heading towards the Med Lab, which wasn't exactly all that close to his current position. He stopped, trying to think of a response to give Maiya, but he didn't want to say what first came to his mind. Her father deserved death, and the dragon inside Frost roared for the death of the man. Suddenly he felt a hand fall upon his shoulder, and his attention snapped towards Dania without a moments hesitation.

"Seeing as we're a lot alike, you should know how durable our kind is. I'm fine, but thanks for the concern." He spoke quietly, and then continued his way towards the Med Lab.

Heck, the only way he'd ever admit he needed assistance, is if it was forced upon him. Like when he fought the Phoenix, he tried to do all he could alone, and even when she put him near death, he still refused all the help he was capable of refusing. Eventually, his mind went, and he couldn't refuse it anymore. It wasn't that he didn't want to burden people, it was more the fact that he didn't want to feel helpless. Shaking his head lightly, he sighed in defeat. He looked at Maiya in protest, now at the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Come on, can't I just go to my old room and sleep it off?" If one didn't know any better, he would appear to be acting like a child refusing to see the doctor.

Maiya knew that what she had told Tom had made him made. It had made all her close friends mad when they found out. Lysek, Tom, The other cadets. Raven didn't know but she would find out later. She sighed. "Tom stop being stuborn and slow down. You could hurt yourself worse." she scolded the former teacher.

She and Dania followed after him untill they reached the stairs that led to the second floor. She noticed him look up them then at her. "No Tom. You can't just sleep this off come on." she pushed him a little trying to get him going again.

{Sorry for the shortness}

Dania jumped a little in surprise as he responded to her, mentioning 'our kind'. She blinked in surprise as she tried to process what he meant. But after a moment, she shook her head and caught up with them. She heard Maiya's response to him and she frowned a little, looking down at Tom, then reaching down and picking him up anyway.

"You won't make it on your own."

She looked to Maiya, hoping Tom's friend would support her. She was going to carry him whether he liked it or not. But while she carried him, she would try not to speak, not wanting to hurt him with her fire. She swallowed a little and kept going, walking a bit faster beside Maiya now that Tom wasn't slowing them down.

He wanted to protest, but figured he'd play along for a bit. He slowed his pace, and after hearing her comment about being stubborn, and that he couldn't sleep this one off, he relinquished and went on the move again with her little push. He knew Dania was probably getting frustrated at him, after all, he was acting rather childish about the whole thing. He wanted to make a comment about Shiro wasting his time by going outside, but he figured the two wouldn't really care about it. He was only doing what he felt was right, even if it meant being a little suspicious about Tom. As he walked, he glanced back at Maiya.

"Maiya, com..." He was cut off in mid protest by Dania suddenly picking him up.

He just sighed, laying in her arms and staring up at her. Sure, she breathed fire and that wasn't a good thing around him, but that didn't mean he would freak out around her. He simply did what he did last time, and forced himself out of her arms and onto the ground. He sighed, and as if knowing Dania didn't understand what he meant, he shifted into full dragon form. He was slightly taller than her, and considerably paler in comparison. He was a very light blue, almost white if one couldn't tell the difference. At that, he started walking towards the Med Lab, this time with haste.

"This is what I meant Dania." As he spoke, and with each step, he shifted back to his human form. "Though it doesn't look like you have the ability to shift back to your human form, or did you ever have one?"

"No Tom." she said to the man. He was being so stuborn about this. She knew that he was an ice dragon but isn't that a little much? She was glad that Dania once again picked him up. But when he climbed out of her arms yet again and turned into a dragon was when she snapped at him.

"TOM! Stop doing that! You can hurt yourself worse! And it's not like these hallways are big enough for you to do that." the fish girl huffed at him. In stead she pushed on his back and forced him to walk.

"You are going to the infrimary and that's finally Tom. No more arguing." Why was it that she had to mom him? What was the point? He was the adult around here.

Dania growled a little as he hopped out of her arms, then yelped and stumbled back as he grew into a dragon like her. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, staring at the form. He looked so much like her, but he could turn human... He started walking away, shifting back to human as he walked. She watched him, tears stinging her eyes as she blinked to keep them back. Why could he shift forms while she had to stay like this? It wasn't fair. She'd had to grow up looking like a freak, yet HE could look normal any moment he wants. She lowered her head a little, considering for a moment just leaving, letting him fall in the hallway and succumb to his own stupidity. But that wasn't what she was taught to do. So she continued on, walking after Tom and Maiya, waiting for him to collapse so she could pick him up again.

"I'm always like this..."

The hurt was evident in her voice. She didn't hate him, far from it. She only hated herself and her powers. It wasn't his fault that he could change and she couldn't, so she kept following, waiting for the moment when she could just pick him up and carry him. She hoped he'd see reason soon and accept her help.

Tom knew that he was coming off as a massive jerk, but he had to so this. Upon arriving to the stairs leading to the lower levels, Tom gently laid his hand on the side of the wall for support. He had heard Maiya's order, and then Dania's hurt. He couldn't imagine what it was like being unable to look normal, but sometimes, he wished he just stay onnhia dragon form forever. He didn't know if Dania has the potential to take on a human form, but he wished there was something he could do to help her fit in with her powers. Slowly descending the stairs, he smiled back to the pair following him.

"I wish I could help you Dania, and Maiya, we need to talk when I'm feeling better." He spoke softly, his weakness becoming more evident with each step.

He cared a lot for Maiya, and oddly felt a link between himself and Dania already. He wanted to go to the Danger Room with her, see her full potential. Perhaps he could help her that way, or perhaps he can learn a bit from her. It's rare that you meet a fellow mutant with similar powers, but Tom knew what this meant. He wasn't alone, there was finally someone out there that he could talk with about his mutation. He was starting to have trouble with the stairs, but hoanpride refused to show it, let alone ask for help from either of these two.

Maiya knew that what Top said was true. They did need to talk about this. But first he needed to be healed before anyone of this happened at all. "Tom...I know we do...But defiantly not now, and not until you're healed." she said in almost a mutter. Tears were in her eyes. "Tom...I still don't understand. Why did you leave? If you hadn't left this wouldn't have happened to you! Tom! We thought you were dead!" The girl knew that this probably wasn't the best time for this but he had to know eventually that he had worried everyone he cared about at the mansion. Maiya had really felt that her friend was dead, heck he was more like a brother than a friend.

She glanced at Dania and nodded her head in silent understanding. Dania would grab Tom and Maiya would hold him down. If she had to she would sit on him to keep him down.

Dania looked away as he expressed his wish to help her, but didn't respond. She looked over as he started down the stairs, then looked over at Maiya as she spoke. She could understand why Maiya was worried. It seemed they were very close. Like he was a big brother to her. She looked back over at Tom as Maiya nodded, then made a small nod of her own. Once Tom was on the steps, Dania reached out and pulled him back, wrapping her arms around his chest and her tail around his legs. Her grip was strong on both counts, holding him tight. She held her head back so she could speak without setting his hair on fire, a low growl emanating from her throat.

"I don't care about your ego, Tom. You can act as gung-ho as you want, but I'm not letting you hurt yourself any further. Now you can struggle and hop out of my arms as many times as you want, or you can relax and take my help like a man."

Fire licked her lips as she spoke, trying hard to hold back the flames in her annoyance. She hated men who did this, acted like they could do anything they wanted no matter what condition they were in. Men like Tom could be missing all four limbs in the middle of a hospital and they wouldn't accept help. That kind of attitude always annoyed her, and Tom was annoying her to the point that she was actually speaking more than five words at once to him. Anyone who knew Dania knew that it took a lot to annoy her that much.

Tom was glad that Maiya was concerned about him, and was even caught off guard a bit by Dania's apparent concern. He was thankful, but at the same time, he could sense her annoyance with his being stubborn. He wasn't refusing help because of his ego, which had recently been deflated several times the past few months. No, he was refusing help because he didn't want to burden anyone else with his stupidity. He just laughed a little, though made sure if wasn't in a ruse of offense way to Dania. He accepted her help this time, and just smiled over at Maiya.

"I don't refuse your help because of an ego, I do it because I don't need to burden you anymore than I already have. I already know the other guy doesn't trust me, and I get the feeling the only reason you might is because of Maiya." His tone didn't really seem to express any emotions, almost like he was stating a fact.

Maiya sighed. "You need to stop thinking that way Tom. You are not a burden to us. We care about you. I care about you. You're like the brother I never had. And I don't like to see you hurt. So please stop fighting us helping you and just accept it..." the girl quietly.

She couldn't understand why he thought like that. They were there to help him. They helped each other. There was no shame in accepting help from your family. And they didn't think he was burdening them at all.

She smiled. "And that's not true Tom. You know it isn't. If that had been true security measures would have been activated the minute you ended up on the front lawn. We trust you and always have so don't say things like that Tom. I've missed you so much and I know everyone else has too..."

The water that was in her bottle at all times came out in little bubbles that when looked at spelled out the words "I missed you Tom". She had gotten better at her water manipulation. She could make bubbles no (Not much but she could do it) and she could now wrap her water whip around people and things and yank them around.

Dania frowned a little as he laughed at her, but her frown disappeared as he explained why he was refusing her help. She held him as she started down the stairs, every step carefully placed. Her tail reached up and wrapped around the handrail just in case. She looked over at Maiya as she explained to Todd that things weren't as bad as he thought. Dania looked at Tom and nodded in agreement. She wanted to say something, but she was concentrating on the steps and not setting Tom on fire.

Once on the right floor, she looked over at Maiya, then back at Tom. She turned and started to the infirmary. She approached the door and started in, looking around. She turned and lay him on one of the beds. She kept a hand on his shoulder to keep him laying down as she waited for one of the healers to come over. She looked down at Tom as she waited. She swallowed a little, then spoke, unable to hold her question in any longer.

"Do you breathe fire too?"

Tom was glad when they finally reached the infirmary, and was even more thankful when he was placed upon a bed. He had been thinking about what Maiya said, and had only nodded up until this point. It wasn't that he didn't disbelieve her, he just wasn't sure where he stood with anyone anymore. He looked over at Dania, noticing that she seemed to be holding something back. He just laid there, and smiled as she finally spoke. Fire, no, he handled the exact opposite in his ice manipulation.

"No, I don't breath fire. I'm more of an ice dragon." He spoke quietly, and just looked around.

He noticed a bottle of water beside his bed, and reached over to grab it. Twisting the cap off, he put his hand under it, and poured the water over it. As the water poured over his hand, it slowly began to freeze, and he even began to shap it. By time he was done, it resembled that of a tiny dragon, and he then crushed it into a single tube of ice. Sliding it back into the bottle, it turned back into water, and he smiled up at Dania.

"Maiya, I'm impressed that you got your powers so advanced. As for your bubbles, I miss you too Maiya, and I'm sorry I left without telling you." He spoke quietly, and just smiled over at Maiya.

Maiya smiled at Tom as he showed off again. There was a reason he was the Elemental teacher. He was just that good at controling his element. She grinned at him and gave him a hug. A gentle hug so not to hurt him. "It's okay Tom. I forgive you." she said. She was just happy that he was okay and that he was alive. She didn't know what she or Jubilee would do had she died.

"I'm going to go find a doctor. Dania could you keep an eye on him for me?" the Young X-Woman asked the dragon girl. She walked away from the two as she searched the Infirmary for a doctor who was available to help Tom.

She nodded a little and lowered her head a little. When she heard him open the bottle, she looked up and watched as he formed the water into a tiny ice dragon. She smiled a little as she watched it. She'd seen ice powers before, but she appreciated his effort to cheer her up. She nodded a little, then looked over at Maiya as she spoke to Tom. She nodded as Maiya said she'd go to find a doctor. Dania curled her tail around her legs and sat down in one of the chairs, draping her wings over the back. She looked over to Tom and smiled a little.

"I'm... I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't want to upset you."

She looked away as she finished speaking, directing her fire to her lap instead of the bed, though she knew it was fireproof. It was mostly an excuse to look away. She was embarrassed to have all but called him an egomaniac when he was just trying to be nice to them. Though she had to admit, she was very curious as to whether or not he could help her with her breathing ability.

(Figured since we're in the med lab now, I'll make a thread there :D!

Here's the link: A Slow Recovery )