Ziva's chin was sitting in the palm of her hand, and she stared at Storm, where she stood at the front of the roo,m speaking to the class. She was quite certain her eyes had glazed over at some point and her brain had shut down. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew Storm was lecturing about the ethics of using your powers on normal humans. Like, if or when it was ethical.

If she were honest, she hadn't been paying much attention, mostly because she didn't care whether it was ethical or not to use her powers on non-mutants. They didn't seem to care much whether it was ethical to do things like lock a mutant in a cage and put her in their freak show.

She barely suppressed a snort when she remembered that moment of stupidity. She'd barely escaped that circus of losers in Montana. She'd been sixteen at the time and seriously stupid to believe them when they said they'd give her a home and take care of her. That trust had nearly cost her dearly. It also taught her that the only person she could rely on to take care of her was herself.

The door opened, and Logan stuck his head into the room and waved to gain Storm's attention. She sent him a slightly disgruntled look for interrupting class, but went to speak to him when he refused to leave. Ziva sat up slightly when they began speaking in hushed tones. Storm looked distressed by whatever it was he was telling her. Her gaze went to the window when she heard a rumble of thunder and saw clouds gathering outside.

She glanced at Skylar, who was also watching the conversation with great interest. Ziva sat up straighter when Skylar suddenly vanished from her seat. A minute or two passed before Skylar reappeared, and a second late,r Storm turned away from Logan to address the class.

"That's enough for today, you're dismissed." She turned and promptly left the room with Logan.

The class began gathering their things and hurrying to leave the room, happy for the reprieve from the rest of Storm's lecture.

Skylar rose and moved closer to the windows. Ziva slipped out of her seat and followed her. When Craig saw them, he grabbed Lenny and dragged him over to where they stood.

"What's going on, Sky?" Ziva asked once the rest of the students left, and they were alone.

"Logan received intel from one of their informants that there's some gang of mutants pushing a drug of some sort at a local high school, and it's deadly. They want to find out what the drug is and who's dealing the stuff. Logan thinks it may be produced from some kind of venom, possibly derived from a mutant. Four students have overdosed in the last month and a half. None lived long enough to make it to a hospital."

Craig scowled. "It's the mutants who do crap like this that ruin it for those of us trying to show that we're good people who just want the right to live our lives. Dammit."

After a snort, Ziva hauled herself up to sit on the wide windowsill. "Big deal, most people think we're freaks, a mistake of nature, and they would rather see us locked up in a zoo. Who cares if some mutant killed a few of those losers?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Helping others and stopping the evil in the world." Skylar told her. "I wonder how Logan and Storm plan on trying to figure out who it is and stop them. The X-Men can't exactly storm the school."

Craig grinned. "We should offer to help!"

"How can we help?" Skylar asked.

"We could go undercover and try to get in with the dealers. Make a buy or even infiltrate the group," Craig replied.

Ziva burst out laughing. "Oh sure, right, you two don't scream straight and narrow at all," she told him, indicating both Craig and Skylar.

Craig looked wounded by her words. "Why would you say that?"

"Because the two of you are so clean-cut, it's frightening. You would be more likely to be on the football team and be their captain than do anything shady." She pointed at Skylar. "And she'd be a member of the Glee club. You'd both probably be on student council too."

"Hold on, what about me?" Lenny asked.

"You'd be voted most likely to steal the P.E. equipment and sell it on eBay," she said with a grin.

"Wow, thanks. I think," he said dryly.

"No problem, happy to help, Dunk Tank."

Lenny lunged at her, and Craig was barely able to stop him with an arm flung out to block his path. "Stop it, both of you! We will never make it onto the X-Men team if you two can't learn to work together."

"You don't seem to get that I don't give a crap. I don't even want to be here!" Ziva reminded him.

"And you forget that someone is after you. It's in your best interest to be here," Craig snapped back.

She held her hands up. "Yeah, fine, whatever. Just keep polynya away from me."

Lenny frowned. "I'm really not certain whether I should be insulted by that or not."

"A polynya is defined as an open area of unfrozen sea water surrounded by ice," Skylar answered.

"Much like your brain," Ziva told him with a grin.

Lenny flipped her the bird before he backed up a couple of steps and sat on top of a desk. "How do we get Logan, and more importantly, Storm, to let us work the school job?"

Skylar gave them all a bright smile. "Let me handle it, you know I can talk them into it. Craig, you come with me in case I need some assistance."

"Dude, why Craig?" Lenny asked.

"Because, as Ziva pointed out, we are the clean-cut ones. I think we'll give an air of competence."

"Now I'm insulted," Ziva told her.

Lenny shrugged. "Works for me."

Ziva snorted. "Of course it does, you don't have to do any work."

"Screw you, Voltron."

She held up a hand, and sparks danced over her fingers from one to the next and back again.

Craig scowled at them. "Behave. Both of you." He spun away and followed Skylar from the room. "I mean it, behave or we won't ask if the two of you can go with!" he called out just before he exited the room.

Ziva sent Lenny a disgusted look and headed for the exit.

He reached out and grabbed her arm before she could get away. "Hey, can't we start over? Why do you even hate me? What did I do?"

She sent his hand a look and he released her arm. "You flirt with any female who gets within a foot of you. It isn't your right to annoy us; we aren't objects for you to collect. You're also obnoxious and annoying."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, but you know what it's like out there for people like us." He shrugged. "I think over the years that front has become my first line of defense. And let's face it, when I stand beside Craig, I sort of vanish. If I don't make a total ass out of myself people wouldn't even know I was there. Especially girls." He held up a hand when she started to speak. "That's not an excuse, just an explanation."

She eyed him for a moment as she attempted to decide if he was telling the truth. Though she could see him acting like an ass to get noticed beyond Craig, she wasn't certain she bought his other excuses.

When she remained quiet, he sighed. "You know that not everyone has supportive parents like Craig and Skylar. My parents tried to turn me over to some mutant hunters when they discovered my powers."

She relented. "And my mom kicked me to the curb. Your point?"

"They didn't simply try and send me away with some assholes that were going to sell me off as a slave or whatever else they decided. They burned everything of mine and told everyone we knew that I died. They even had a funeral to make it real."

She winced. "Wow, that's rough. My mom just kicked me and told me she'd call the cops if I came back.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't good press to have a mutant for a kid."

She frowned. "Good press?"

"My dad was a PA for some senator at city hall. As far as they were concerned, it would ruin his career if anyone found out." He shrugged.

Though the shrug was meant as a dismissal of what his parents had done, she could see pain lurking in his eyes. "That does suck. Fine, I'll agree to a truce. But I swear to God, if you try anything with me again, I'll fry you.

"I already got the message, Voltanna," he told her with a smirk.

She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "If you keep calling me that, then I'm gonna keep calling you Swizzle Stick."

He tapped his chin. "I think I like Slip 'N Slide better."

She rolled her eyes and took a seat atop the desk beside the one he sat on. "So, tell me ... what exactly does this whole X-Men team do?"

He lifted a shoulder and let it drop. "Save the world or whatever."

"What does 'whatever' mean?"

"Well, Storm can control the weather."

"I figured that out already, her name is Storm and when she's pissed, we get thunderstorms."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Logan is Wolverine. And blah, blah, blah. There are more team members. They help people and try and make the world see mutants as good."

"So, what then ... we have an entire superhero team using the school as a cover?"

"I suppose if that's what you want to call them."

She sighed. "Okay, so what do you call your alter ego?"

"No clue, never really thought about it."

"Same. I had no clue we needed superhero names or anything."

"Storm never goes by her real name, she's just Storm." He shrugged. "Logan will answer to either his name or Wolverine. Some of the others have names and some don't." He hopped down off the desk.

Ziva followed him when he headed for the door. "Do you think Skylar has any chance of talking them into letting us go undercover at that school?"

"If anyone can do it, it's Skylar," he answered.

"I thought she could only possess inanimate objects, not people?" She frowned when an image of Skylar possessing Storm popped into her head.

"That's true. Skylar is so logical and convincing that she's the one who is most likely to convince Storm to let us go. I suppose it's part of being able to possess a computer, she can put together the most logical argument to persuade anyone to do almost anything." He shrugged. "Craig is also charming to a fault; they will make an epic debate team."

"I guess. Let's head up to my room and we'll wait for the results of their mission." She eyed him for a moment. "You can only come if you promise to behave."

He held up a hand. "I solemnly swear that I will be the perfect gentleman."

"Good, let's go then." She led the way upstairs.

***

When Craig and Skylar entered the room, Ziva jumped up from where she'd been lounging on her bed. "Well?" she asked.

Lenny stopped spinning on Skylar's desk chair to listen.

Skylar couldn't hide her smile. "We can go!"

Craig held up a hand. "Under a couple of conditions."

"What are the conditions?" Lenny asked.

"Logan will oversee the operation, and we report to him. He's going to pose as Craig's uncle," Skylar told them.

"Why is he Craig's uncle?" Ziva asked.

Craig rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Well, Storm pointed out that he looks a bit um ...," he trailed off.

"Unsavory?" Ziva asked with a smirk.

"Yes, that. Storm decided that if the dealer is going to buy our story, we needed an appropriate home environment to explain our sudden urge to be bad kids," Craig explained.

"Logan felt the same as you, that Craig and I are too clean-cut to be believable as being interested in buying or selling drugs," Skylar told them.

"So, what is the story exactly?" Ziva asked.

Craig combed his fingers through his hair and refused to look at either Ziva or Lenny.

"Spill it," Ziva demanded.

He groaned. "Fine, okay. So, Logan is my uncle because we resemble one another slightly."

Ziva's same thought when they first stepped into the diner the day they brought her here. "And?" she prompted when he remained silent.

"Storm thought it would be better if we had a full story, you know that made sense for the image we want to project. Logan believed it would make sense to tell everyone that you're my girlfriend and that Lenny is your cousin and Skylar is his girlfriend," he rushed out.

Ziva blinked at him for several seconds before she looked at Lenny, who only shrugged. She looked back at Craig. "We couldn't come up with a better plan than that?"

Craig folded his arms over his chest. "Well, since everyone is so fond of pointing out that the two of us aren't believable as bad kids it made sense to Logan that you two combined with him as my guardian would be enough to force us into bad behavior. The story is that my parents died, and since Logan is the only living relative, he became my guardian. Skylar's parents are recently divorced, and their divorce was very ugly. It gives us both a reason to be rebellious. Skylar moved in with her boyfriend, who is living with his cousin and her boyfriend's unsavory uncle. All of it is just so tragic and has sent us out looking for trouble."

Ziva chewed her bottom lip. It was very logical, and it did make sense but pretending to be Craig's girlfriend didn't sound like a good plan. It could create emotional chaos for her. At least she didn't have to pretend to be Lenny's girlfriend. "I suppose it makes sense. When do we start?"

"Logan is going to find a house near the school. Hopefully, we can begin next Monday," Skylar replied.

"Sounds great."

"Hey, I didn't ask to be the guardian of you little monsters," Logan grumbled from the doorway.

"It was literally your idea," Craig told him.

"I merely refined it. Storm is the one who said we needed something good to be believable," Logan answered.

Ziva was amazed at how quietly Logan moved. None of them had heard him coming, he just suddenly appeared in the doorway. She and Logan were a lot alike; they would rather be alone. Yet, Logan remained here despite his surly attitude. She wondered why, but had no desire to interrogate him about it.

Craig grinned at him. "Come on, this could be fun."

"Doubt it," Logan muttered.

"This gives us a chance to prove to you that we could be a valuable asset to the X-Men," Skylar added.

Logan snorted. "Oh sure, a bunch of hormonal teens make for a super asset. I simply can't wait for this operation to start, it's gonna be a blast. I say that with all due sarcasm, kid." He turned and stalked away.

Lenny groaned. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun. Uncle Logan, our guardian. Let's go, party time."

"I heard that, kid," Logan yelled from somewhere down the corridor.

Skylar giggled. "Wolverine hearing, Lenny, you forgot that."

Lenny cursed. "Right, I always forget about that. We won't even be able to slip out of the house to go to any parties. This is gonna suck."

"Damn straight, kid!" Logan yelled before he cackled like a supervillain.

Lenny's look was pained. "I think I need to go cry for a bit." He left the room.

Craig shook his head and watched his bestie go. "I suppose we need to start thinking about what to pack. Pack stuff that helps us portray the characters we're playing."

Skylar frowned. "Why are you looking at me?"

"No, elementary school teacher sweaters, Sky."

"I like my sweaters!"

Ziva laughed. "He's right, you do look like an elementary school teacher." She held up a hand when Skylar sent her a pout. "Sorry, they're cute sweaters, but not the look we're going for with this mission."

Skylar frowned. "Can you help me pack then?" she asked Ziva.

Craig left with a wave.

Ziva smiled at Skylar. "Yeah, I'll help, don't worry, we'll put together something." She doubted Skylar owned anything that wasn't brightly colored and fun. It was probably going to be difficult to pack for her. Maybe they could go hit a thrift store before next week. They should probably get Craig some stuff, too, though his laid-back, skater boy look was better than Sky's preppy sweaters.