Nail had been fully recovered by the doc, but didn't feel cmfortable sicking around too long in the infirmery. He had snuck out in the chaos, and now was wandering the halls of this mansion... not really sure what to do with himself he hadn't realised how tired he was. He hadn't gotten a good nights sleep befor the battle at that place... what was it? King Pharmacuticals? Why the hell had he been locked up there? And was this the place that Iris was talking about? And where was Iris? And how the hell did he get into this mess in the first place?

He had to sit down. There was just too much going on... too much he didn't understand. Leaned against the wall and slowely slid down ituntil he was sitting on his rear with his feet out in front of him. He had come all the way from the west coast of canada, just to run away from his horrible mistakes. And as soon as he had gotten here, he was thrown into a war! The very last thing he wanted to be part of, next to a science experiment.

"I swear, if I ever see that b*tch Syn, or a$$hole Kaz ever again..."

He couldn't believe that their where people out in the world like them. Worst yet, they had powers that the abilities to make their horrible ideals come true.

Nail didn't know what to do. He didn't want to repeat the same mistakes he had made in the past, and hurt innocent people. He had been running away all this time, but ended up being in the thick of this war. What should he do know? He had run away from his family, his home, his school, and had only found trouble... all because of his abilities.

Nail shifted lifted his hand and looked at his palm, which was slowely iceing over with diamond. He could see his reflection in the many little mirrors that seemed to make up his palm.

"I have to face who I am I geuss..." He whispered to himself.

"Nope. Erm, nope. Hmm... nope. Oops! Definately nope..."

Neena made her way slowly down the hallway. Every now and then she would take a quick peek at a door to see if the room was occupied. She was looking for an empty one to claim for the time being, until Miss Tipper decided on a roommate for her.

Concentrating as she was, she wasn't paying attention to the more important things in life. Such as watching where she was putting her feet...

"Whoop!" she exclaimed as she stopped herself just short of tripping over a pair of legs sticking out into the hallway. As it was she had to do a little hop-skip over them to keep her balance. Turning back around she glanced at the body attached to the legs, and the face attached to the body. She tilted her head slightly.

"Man, you look like you've been put through the ringer, m'friend," she remarked, blunt as ever. "Anything I can do to help? I'm told I'm not good with puns, but I've got a slew of bad knock-knock jokes."

Nail was so wrapped up in his confusion that he hadn't heard anyone coming. It was't until she had nearly tripped over his legs that he had noticed her. He stood up quickly, appologizing.

"Sorry bout that... I'm fine..."

The woman looked a little bit older than him, and he geussed she was one of the staff here. He thought it was probably safe to ask her.

"Um, I just kinda got her and... I'm not really sure what this place is..."

(Or how I managed to get here) he thought to himself hopelessly.

"Is this... some kind of school?"

"Sorry bout that... I'm fine... Um, I just kinda got here and... I'm not really sure what this place is... Is this... some kind of school?"

"Indeed it is, m'friend. Xavier's School for the Gifted, version two. Slipped in among the confusion, eh? So did I. Seems we managed to avoid the main excitement, though I have yet to get any details, other than one of the students went a bit wild." She paused a moment, then held out her hand.

"Forgive my lack of manners. I'm Neena, one of the new teachers. I'm guessing from the question that you're not one of the registered students. Are you looking to be one?" She took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of nearly-white eyes. "Or perhaps just need a place to collect your thoughts for a bit? You look a tad worn down."

Nail took Neenas hand, thankful for someone to talk to for the first time in a long time.

"It's nice to meet you Neena. I'm Nail."

When asked if he was here to sign up for schooling, he didn't really know what to say.

"Er, well I don't know. I mean... This is really a school for mutants isn't it. I geuss I could, but the thing is, I don't really have a cent to my name. I wouldn't know how to pay for it."

It was about this time something clicked in his head.

"Uh, by the way, you wouldn't know if someone named Iris comes here would you?"

"A pleasure Nail."

"Er, well I don't know. I mean... This is really a school for mutants isn't it. I geuss I could, but the thing is, I don't really have a cent to my name. I wouldn't know how to pay for it."

"Well, you can talk to the Headmistress about it to be sure, but I don't think money will be an issue. For a lot of these kids, their families are less than supportive, monetarily or otherwise." Neena paused; she couldn't be sure, but something else seemed to be bothering him. So she added, "If you want, you can simply hang around for a week or so before deciding if you'd like to stay. Give you a chance to think, maybe clear your mind? If you're having power control issues, there's a special room here that can help you with that as well. Plus a few good meals always helps, right?" She smiled warmly.

He seemed to pause, and consider something. Then, "Uh, by the way, you wouldn't know if someone named Iris comes here would you?"

Neena searched her memory, then shook her head. "The name sounds familiar, but I haven't actually met too many of the students just yet. There's quite a few living here, so I couldn't tell you for sure. What does she look like? Perhaps one of the others has seen her."

She pulled her pack from her shoulder, and rummaged around for a moment. She pulled out a 'New Resident' folder and held it out for him.

"I won't pressure you to stay Nail. But you're more than welcome to if you'd like." Her tone was kind, like a confidante. "We all need a vacation every now and then, right? Otherwise, we'd go crazy. Well... crazier, depending on your mutation, I guess," she added with a small laugh, motioning toward some of the visible destruction.

"Of course, now, if you do stay, you may be drafted for fix'em-up duty. Hmm... going to have to find out who caused this, and draft them too. Then get them into the Danger Room for some control training..." she remarked thoughtfully.

Nika's accute hearing picked up male and female voices in the hallway. The male asked about Iris. The female said she didn't know Iris but had heard the name. As the cat girl turned the corner she saw where the voices came from.

"I know Iris. Iris is my friend." The girl looked the pair over. She hadn't seen the woman before, but she had heard some students mention a new teacher. "My name is Nika by the way. Who are you guys?'

Sentinel Felt a bit worried that Neena didn't know who Iris was, but realsised that she was new too, and she still might be ok. He was intregued by Neenas offer though. Free meals and a place to sleep. It wasn't bad. And he wouldn;t have to worry about hiding anything. He had to admit, it was hard to turn down, and it wasn't like he had anywhere else to go. He took the folder and smiled.

"Thanks Neena, I'll think about it, and doing some manuel labor in the mean time seems more than a reasonable offer for a place to stay."

"I know Iris. Iris is my friend. My name is Nika by the way. Who are you guys?"
Nail turned toward Nika who had just came around the corner.

"You know Iris? Is she..."

Nail didn't finish his sentence. His eyes had noticed the two cat like ears and cat tail that the girl had, and where zipping back and forth between them, slightely confused. He hadn't seen anyone like her before, that was for sure. He realised he was being rude and continued.

"Uh sorry. Is Iris OK? We were both kidnapped, thats how I met her. I just got here. I'm Nail."

"Thanks Neena, I'll think about it, and doing some manuel labor in the mean time seems more than a reasonable offer for a place to stay."

"You say that now, but wait 'till we really put you to work," Neena teased. "In the meantime, just two things I need to point out. See these two questions?" She pointed to the ones that read, 'What is your mutation?' and 'Is it dangerous to you and/or the ones around you?' "I need to take a peek at the answer to those before you take off, 'kay? Just procedure."

"I know Iris. Iris is my friend." Neena turned at the sound of a new voice. "My name is Nika by the way. Who are you guys?'

Neena smiled and held out her hand to the small cat-girl. "A pleasure to meet you Nika. I'm Neena, one of the new teachers." She watched with mild amusement as Nail attempted to introduce himself and keep from staring at the same time. Not that she blamed him. The young girl was very unique in appearance, and Neena found herself immensely curious about how cat-like her mutation was.

"Uh sorry. Is Iris OK? We were both kidnapped, thats how I met her. I just got here. I'm Nail."

Neena blinked and frowned slightly. "Come again?"

She knew the look as it appeared on the guy's face. Nika watched his eyes as they darted from her ears to her tail and back again. If he could see her inner self then he would see Nika laughing hysterically.

"Yeah Iris is ok. Last I saw she was in her room but that was awhile ago."

The cat girl turned her head and smiled at Neena. "Nice to meet you Miss Neena. What do you teach?"

Maybe it took a minute or two to set in but when Neena responded to Nail's comment about being kidnapped Nika tilted her head in a puzzled manner. "What did you say?"

Nail now had two very confused and concerned people staring at him intently. He had hoped Nika had known about the whole ordeal he and Iris had gone through. Thats what happens when he assumed things though.

"Uh well... it's a long story. No big deal really. We both here, and I geuss we're both fine. So all's well that end's well I geuss."

He didn't really feel comfortable sharing what had happened to the two of them. It seemed like one of those things you had to be careful informing people about. So he tried to change the subject.

"By the way, my mutation? I can make armor."

Nail made a two second demonstration, forming diamond on his finger tips, letting it crystalize all the way down his forearm, and then absorbing it entirely, as if it hadn't even been there.

"I have pretty good control over it, it's not like it's dagerous or anything."

(So long as I'm not attacked...) Nail thought this to himself. He didn't want to ruin his one chance of finding a home. If he told them that his powers had a rather lethal mind of it's own when he was threatened, there was a chance they could kick him out onto the street. That was his thinking at least.

Wanting distance the conversation even farther away from the inicial question, he decided to push Nikas question alittle more.

"So yeah Neena, what class do you teach?"

"Uh well... it's a long story. No big deal really. We both here, and I geuss we're both fine. So all's well that end's well I geuss..... By the way, my mutation? I can make armor.""

Neena eyed the teen blankly. He was hiding something, she was fairly sure, but she wasn't going to press the issue just yet. Instead she watched his power demonstration with genuine curiosity. Suddenly she laughed quietly.

"Careful with that. If that's diamond, you're going to have the girls swarming you in no time," she teased. She pointed out the map to him. "Boys dorms are down this next hallway here. Go ahead and pick out any empty room. If you'd like, after you've rested up a bit, you can have a roommate, if you'd like. Just let me or Miss Tipper, the Headmistress, know, 'kay?"

In answer to both of their questions, she replied, "Danger Room. Hopefully I'll see both of you there at some point in time. Which reminds me," and she turned to Nika. "Have you been here long? You wouldn't happen to know which kids caused this damage would you? I'm guessing they need a bit of control training."

She smiled to show she wasn't out to punish anyone. It was a house of mutants after all, most of them teenagers. Damage was simply part of the territory.

The cat girl could sense something was missing from the guy's explanation but she wasn't going to force him to talk if he didn't want to. She then watched his brief demo to show his mutation. Neena made a comment about having the girls coming after Nail if he wasn't careful. Then she told Nail and Nika what she taught. Under her breath Nika commented on how she would've wished Neena would have been there when she was in the Danger Room a few days ago.

When Neena directed her attention to Nika and asked her how long Nika replied "Only about a week or so." When Neena asked if Nika knew who caused the damage Nika blushed and rasied her hand. "I'm one of them but there were others." She wasn't sure if she should tell any names so instead she changed the subject. "I'd like to try to learn more control."

While Neena and Nika talked, Nail looked over the map. Just looking at it reminded him of how huge this place was, but looking at the way it was set up, he figured he could probably memorize the place in about a month or two. Maybe less. He picked the first easy to find empty boys dorm room, and tried to figure out how to get there from where he was. When he was done, he adressed Neena again.

"Alright, thanks again Neena, and I'll take you up on your danger room offer sometime. I'm gunna get going and find my dorm room and fill out these papers."

He turned to Nika, making sure to look her in the face this time politely.

"Tell Iris I'm around would ya? Let her know I'm glad she's ok. It was nice to meet you, and sorry about staring at your ears..."

He waved to both of them and started off down the hall. Something told him he would have alot of work to do here, but it was better then aimlessly traveling for no reason like he had been doing. Maybe finding a home would workout for him in the end.

"Only about a week or so. I'm one of them but there were others. I'd like to try to learn more control."

Neena nodded. "I'd be happy to help, if I can. We'll have to set up a session later. Maybe you can bring some of the 'others' with you?" She smiled kindly. She wasn't going to press Nika for names, but she was pretty sure Tricity would want to know what had happened, and why.

"Alright, thanks again Neena, and I'll take you up on your danger room offer sometime. I'm gunna get going and find my dorm room and fill out these papers."

"Sure, that's fine. You can drop them off in Miss Tipper's room," she pointed the way down the hall, "Or you know where to find me. Good to have you here!" she added as he disappeared down the hall. She crossed one arm over her chest, and rested the other on it, tapping her lip thoughtfully with one finger. Then she turned to Nika.

"Could you show me where Iris's room is? I think I may go talk to her later, see how she's doing."