Emerald had ran for a while, not looking back, not caring about the world around her until she came upon her secret spot. It was the spot that she had lived in before she had came to the institute.

It was a secluded spot, a small forest off of the interstate that no body went into at the risk of death, because of 'mutant attacks.' Emerald looked up at the waterfalls that flowed above her, the roaring noise echoed in her sensitive ears as she merely leap through the torrent of water, soaking her body entirely. Behind the Waterfall was a cave and the only way one could get in it was by going through the roaring water.

Emerald looked around in the damp cave before finding th sleeping bag she had slept in only months before her arrival At the institute. She turned on the old flashlight inside it and pulled the bag of beef jerk out from the plastic bag.

The wolf girl tore into it silently, in deep though about everything. Her tears had dried and it was like she didn't care anymore, she just wanted to be normal again. Not some monster that tried to kill her younger sister.

"I don't care if I have to live in here for the rest of my life, at least no one is hear to judge me as if I'm some sort of creature." Emerald snarled to herself.

((Mike can come in now! Then dar comes in when she comes on))

"I can't remember ever saying that you were 'some sort of creature,'" Mike said calmly as he made his way slowly through the waterfall, the water flowing around him without touching him. The water had evidently thrown off Emmy's scent, because he'd found her faster than Daria. "I can't remember ever thinking it, either. I've been called a freak myself, I can't say I enjoyed it enough to want to call other people freaks."

Don't listen to him Emerald, he probably was thinking it but he just doesn't want to admit it. The wolf within her growled, You saw what you did to the one person you promised you would protect you hurt. Whether you like it or not you are still the blood lusted animal you always where.

Emerald shook her head from side to side before looking up at mike. Her tail drooped between her legs as she looked at the older boy.

"I know...but I hurt my baby sister," Emerald choked out, "And I hurt Daria what am I supposed to think about myself?"

"And to top everything off I end up going out with one of the sweetest guys I ever met and I find out that you guys hate him? What the Hell am I supposed to do mike?!" Emerald exclaimed

Mike sat down next to her, a sympathetic look on his face. "I've hurt people that I didn't want to, too. It's not something that's easy to learn to deal with, I'll admit. But we're not normal, Emmy, and it wouldn't be fair to try to treat ourselves like we are. There are always problems that crop up as mutants that make things hard, or hard to control... all we can do is work to do better in the future. And for what it's worth, Ruby doesn't blame you either. She was scared, yes, but she was more concerned that we'd take it out on you."

"So tell me... what glowing complimentary things has my brother told you about me?" Mike asked, his tone dry, but not angry.

"She's concerned for me? Thats funny I was always concerned about her since I was little and now the tables have turned, Ironic isnt it?" Emerald laughed.

"As for what Johnny said about you...he said you where power hungry but thats pretty much it. Oh and the fact you use your powers to get what you want." Emerald stated in a calm tone, trying her best to kindly summarize most of what Johnny said.

"Power hungry... using my powers to get what I want..." Mike chuckled hollowly. "Should've expected that one. That was pretty much what he tried to say to Daria when he went into her mind and made her relive her rape, except replacing the principle offender in that incident with me, so that I was the one doing it to her. I suppose he failed to mention that?"

"My brother promised me about a year ago that when I actually had anything I cared about, he'd make sure I lost it. A promise he reminded me of after our grandfather's funeral, just after I found him violating Daria's mind."

Emerald would normally growl at mike but she merely sighed. "So...he was lying to me? I was lied to by a guy I had feelings for again? Damn it to hell. So did he lie about his feelings for me to?"

Emerald didnt thin Johnny would lie to her about something like that and she was willing to defend him but her mind was starting to fill with doubt and she didnt like that.

Mike shrugged sadly. "I haven't seen him for months. Who knows. All I know is that his record doesn't speak in his favor. I mean... hell, he's my brother, I don't like thinking that he can be petty or cruel, but I know what I saw. Daria's got every right to hate him as much as she seemed to back there, I'm sorry to say."

"Great so once again Emerald Ember Lupin has no taste in guys." Emerald groaned laying back on her sleeping bag.

"But you know...I believe the fact that Johnny does have feelings for me, I dont know if its just false hope but to me despite the fact the guy lied to me It still felt like love. ANd not the lusty kind of love like the Alpha Male And Alpha female kind." Emerald sighed, "You know you could just go into my mind and see if he loves me. You could see it from my point of view"

Mike smiled slightly. "And your point of view would be full of your own emotions... which would color the memories rather vividly," he sighed. "That wouldn't tell me what Johnny felt... just what you thought he felt, or what you felt. I'd need Johnny's mind to tell you for sure what Johnny felt."

"You're a big girl, Emmy... I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you this: My brother is very intelligent, and a very good actor. Hell, he managed to convince Daria he was me, with a little help from his power, and pull the act off well enough until he started to mentally torture her."

"I did see some things from your mind, though... have you wondered exactly how he's paying rent on an apartment when he left my parents' house with no money? How he's even GOTTEN all the way here? How he's even managed to get someone to rent an apartment to a minor?"

Emerald sighed deeply before her gaze shifted to her feet. "He used his powers to manipulate them. Okay? I get it!" Emerald growled with irritation in her voice.

Her hands were clenched into fists,it was clear to see that she was not mad at Mike just at herself and at everything else.

"I dont even know what to think anymore, Im so lost." Emerald sighed, tail drooping.

Mike smiled slightly, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're not the only one," he sighed. "Part of me can't help but hope that he really has gotten over everything and isn't lying to you or using you."

He shrugged, "Of course, the other part of me wants to kick him across the continent for the things he's done."

((and now we wait for daria))

((*whines* Dariaaaaaaaaaaa... hurry uuuuuuuuuuup!))