Ghost left the library in a huff. It seemed that today she was always one step behind Neena. Ghost had been to the far corners of teh campus chasing Neena's tail. Who knew she was so busy all the time!

Ghost was loathe to leave another note for Neena as the last time she tried to leave a note there'd been a snake in the garden that just happened to shoot her favorite person in the world full of an icky creation called Haywire. True, the two actions were unrelated, but Ghost just felt like she had waited to talk to Neena for a long time. Partially it was her own fault, she'd put it off for a long while. But today was different. Today, she was going to find the busy assistant head mistress and get her questions answered.

Her next stop was ironically one of the places she least expected to find the assistant head mistress: her office.

Ghost knocked softly against the partially ajar door. The movement pushed the door a bit more open and Ghost's curious eyes peered in through the open space.

"Neena? Do you have a moment?"

Neena whistled something vaguely recognizable as the soundtrack from Grease, while she cleaned up the Office. The hole in the wall had already been patched, and the window replaced, so all that left was reorganizing once more.

She got down on her hands and knees to retrieve papers from the floor.

"Neena? Do you have a moment?"

She glanced up to see Maya peeking in the door. "Sure, c'mon in, m'friend." She sat back on her heels, and pushed her glasses up into her hair. The young woman appeared concerned about something.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"Erm." She'd been so wrapped up in finding Neena, now that she'd caught the elusive assistant head mistress, she had to take a moment to re-organize her thoughts.

"I have a few things to ask you about so I hope I remember them all." She stalled as she slipped into the room through the semi-open door. She managed to slip in without touching the frame or the door and so it remained partially ajar. "First and most important, I would really like to continue my education. Uhm. It's im-important to me and you mentioned something about online classes once...?" She fidgeted. "Not that I know what I'd major in... You don't think that's a waste do you?"

"Also..." Her fingers curled around each other as she solidified her resolve. "I'd really like to be able to defend myself. I-the... I don't feel that in a combat situation I was very helpful." She was thinking about several recent situations, but the most obvious was the Haywire incident. She'd felt... more than a little helpless at times. She didn't want that to happen ever again.

"Erm. I have a few things to ask you about so I hope I remember them all."

Neena got up off of the floor, and pulled a chair out for Ghost, and then sat on the edge of the desk.

"First and most important, I would really like to continue my education. Uhm. It's im-important to me and you mentioned something about online classes once...? Not that I know what I'd major in... You don't think that's a waste do you?"

She shook her head, but let the young woman finish speaking completely before piping up.

"Also... I'd really like to be able to defend myself. I-the... I don't feel that in a combat situation I was very helpful."

"Well, I don't know if I agree with that," she remarked with a smile. "But I think we can figure something out."

She stood and walked over to the computer, pausing for a moment to remember how to pull it out of stand-by mode. "Well, I'm not exactly a genius with this box of bolts, but let's see what we can do about getting you the applications you'll need for college. You said you were going to go to NYU at first, right? Did you still want to try for that, or go a different route?"

While the computer rebooted, she glanced at Ghost. "As for a combat situation, I could probably show you a few things in the agility department. But I'm not exactly a pro though, so the Danger Room is the next best thing. I do know that the place is programed with some basic training programs."

"For the record though, I think you were a great help in that last scuffle. I'd be willing to bet Garrett will agree with me. You don't always have to know how to fight to help in combat," she remarked gently.

Neena thought they could work something out, but Ghost wasn't sure. She slipped to a place next to Neena so she could look over her shoulder. She was uncomfortable enough that she preferred to stand. "NYU is right, but... Well, besides the fact that I'd have to take out loans to pay for these classes... I'm not sure I want to enroll as myself."

She cleared her throat feeling a bit self-conscious. "I uhm.. I don't want my dad to know I made it out of the camps alive since he's the one who sent me there." She tried to play it off. Seemed everyone was hiding from something. "It's probably not the wisest decision since I could do this all legitimately, but..." She frowned trying to put it into words. "I just... wanted to start a new life. You know, without him... in it." Once she'd actually said the words she felt dirty. What kind of daughter would cut her own dad out of her life? Especially when they were the only remaining survivors of their nuclear family.

Ghost watched the computer rebooting rather blankly and Neena glanced back at her. The older woman seemed to sense the tenseness and addressed her other concerns drawing Ghost out of her personal discomfort. She offered to show Ghost some things in the danger room and commented on her help in the last fight that had started just outside the very office they were standing in.

"You don't always have to know how to fight to help in combat," Neena remarked gently. Ghost smiled weakly.

"It's not just fighting for fighting sake. I- I want to be a stronger person. Even if I was able to help as I am, imagine what a stronger Ghost would have been able to do..." She wasn't denying her ability's beneficial nature, just that if she were to be truely useful... well, sharper tools make for more efficient work. "I don't want to fight." She shrugged, "It just seems inevitable that if we want any kind of life in this world... we're going to have to work it out with humans and other mutants alike. Their medium of choice these days seems to be violence." She felt rather melancholy as she sad it, but it seemed to be undeniably true.

"NYU is right, but... Well, besides the fact that I'd have to take out loans to pay for these classes... I'm not sure I want to enroll as myself."

Neena didn't need special sight to see Ghost's discomfort.

"I uhm.. I don't want my dad to know I made it out of the camps alive since he's the one who sent me there. It's probably not the wisest decision since I could do this all legitimately, but... I just... wanted to start a new life. You know, without him... in it."

She nodded slowly. "Well, as far as loans, I'm sure we can help you part of the way. You'll probably need to consider a job to take care of the rest. But if this is what you want, we'll help however we can. As for you father...."

Neena took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I understand. Whole-heartedly." While her own circumstances were different from Ghost in that her family hadn't handed her over to be tortured, they had abandoned her to the world, to find a way to survive on her own.

"It's not just fighting for fighting sake. I- I want to be a stronger person. Even if I was able to help as I am, imagine what a stronger Ghost would have been able to do..." Neena thought back, remembering the aftermath of the young woman's slashing winds. Indeed, her element held the potential to be a serious threat.

"I don't want to fight. It just seems inevitable that if we want any kind of life in this world... we're going to have to work it out with humans and other mutants alike. Their medium of choice these days seems to be violence."

Neena rolled her eyes, and rubbed her temples. "Tell me about it," she grumbled, then sighed.

"All right, m'friend. I'll set you up with a combat program in the Danger Room, and we'll see what we can do to refine your offense tactics." She was fairly certain that all the girl really needed was a confidence boost, but she'd still do as requested.

"Do you want to figure out the college issue first, or the Danger Room?"

It made Ghost feel very slightly better that Neena at least understood. It didn't make her feel any better about what she was about to do, though. "I'd rather take care of the school stuff first if you don't mind. I don't mind working... earning my way.Though... I'll definitely need a new identity if I'm going to get a job."

A thought occurred to her then. "About a major... actually Garrett and I were talking and uhm... he thought I'd make a good teacher. So - maybe education or something." She wondered if it would please her mom if she knew that her daughter were inevitably following in her footsteps.

"I'd rather take care of the school stuff first if you don't mind."

Neena wrinkled her nose comically. "I had a feeling you'd say that. You're gonna force me to learn how to use this bucket o' bolts, eh?" But her tone held a teasing tone to it, and she smiled.

"I don't mind working... earning my way.Though... I'll definitely need a new identity if I'm going to get a job."

"Weeeelllll.... You do realize it would be highly irresponsible of me as a teacher to to encourage one of my students to hide from her family, and assume a new identity, that may or may not include such things as fake ID and references."

She drew out her words dramatically, and paused.

"Of course, as a friend who isn't on solid terms with her own family..... I'll see what I can do." She glanced over her shoulder, straight-faced, and winked, before turning back to the computer.

"About a major... actually Garrett and I were talking and uhm... he thought I'd make a good teacher. So - maybe education or something."

"Ah! Well now, you won't hear me trying to talk you out of that."

Neena squinted at the screen, then replaced her sunglasses as the light hurt her eyes. She began typing, slowly. It took longer, perhaps, than it should have, but she finally found the website she'd been looking for; a list of online schools separated by area of study. She managed to select 'Education/Teaching', which pulled up another drop down menu.

"Okay, so we've got Adult Education, Cirriculum and Instruction, General, Special Education, Instructional Technology and Leadership and Administration. Any of those strike your fancy, or should we keep searching?" she asked.

"Weeeelllll.... You do realize it would be highly irresponsible of me as a teacher to to encourage one of my students to hide from her family, and assume a new identity, that may or may not include such things as fake ID and references... Of course, as a friend who isn't on solid terms with her own family..... I'll see what I can do."

Ghost smiled when Neena winked. She hadn't thought Neena would let her down. Not even for a moment. She began to feel a slight camaraderie that she did not expect then. Perhaps it would not be so strange to be peers one day, teaching and or fighting along side one another. "I'm so glad we're friends then."

Neena had a funny way of squinting and typing even with her sunglasses back in their place against the bridge of her nose. She obviously wasn't versed in teh ways of the internet. But then again neither was she. If not for her high school's computer program, Ghost would probably not even know how to open the internet browser. She's was definitely a library and books kind of girl.

"Okay, so we've got Adult Education, Curriculum and Instruction, General, Special Education, Instructional Technology and Leadership and Administration. Any of those strike your fancy, or should we keep searching?" she asked.

"Oh man... I should have been expecting this, but I still hadn't thought that far ahead." She scratched her head narrowing her choices mentally. "Curriculum and Instruction doesn't sound bad, but then again neither does Leadership and Administration." She blushed not really sure if she could handle being in charge of anything really. "Better go with the first one, Curriculum and Instruction."

After that it was easy. Neena seemed to have some knowledge ... or at least good fortune enough that they side-stepped the information process so that Ghost could register her classes smoothly even without a definite identity. They set up a full, but light load: 12 hours. That would leave her enough time to work as well as get her education started in full swing.

Neena printed off a sheet that listed her first ever set of college classes. Ghost felt as if a weight had been lifted. She'd been worried about how it was all going to work, but it seemed easy in the end. You go to school and then you get an education. Simple. Now she just needed to nail down that identity so she could find a job and get started.

It looked like things were looking up after all.

Neena breathed a sigh of relief as the printer whirred to life; she'd half expected the computer to explode in her face. Or crash. Or whatever they called it.

"I so hate that thing," she muttered, half to herself. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She needed to figure out how to adjust the brightness on the monitor.

"All right, so on to the self-defense. Are you sure you want to do this? My methods are.... odd."

That was one way she'd heard it put. Insane was another. Weird worked too. But odd covered it rather well.

"My methods are.... odd."

"No... Your methods are effective. Otherwise you wouldn't be the Danger Room teacher." Ghost smiled. She didn't have to look forward to it, but it was something that needed to be done. She had already talked herself into it so Neena probably wasn't going to be able to talk her out of it. Not that she was really trying.

"I will take whatever you can dish." She dipped her head respectfully. She was typically a fast learner. She had confidence in that at least.

"No... Your methods are effective. Otherwise you wouldn't be the Danger Room teacher."

Neena laughed softly. "Actually, that had more to do with my willingness to play the moving target. Personally, I think teens need more stress relief than adults. Shooting at an adult helps."

"I will take whatever you can dish."

The dark-skinned teacher nodded, and got to her feet. "All right. Don't say I didn't warn you."

She wasn't trying to scare Ghost away, not by any means. Though, to judge by the set expression in the young woman's eyes, she likely wouldn't have been able to anyway. She just wanted the girl to know what she was getting herself into. And since she seemed determined, there was only one course of action to take.

"Let's see what we can get set up. Have you been in the Danger Room before?" she asked.

She paused to look at the mess that was still the office, then shook her head and headed for the doorway.

Ghost shook her head "Never been in the danger room before... no reason until now and besides. I thought the first time I went, I'd need a responsible chaperon." It came out sounding like a teasing comment, but Ghost really would never go into the Danger Room at all if she was never properly introduced the first time.

Ghost followed the teacher's wistful gaze into the room. She was surprised at how messy it still was. She hadn't noticed until now since she had come with a lot on her mind and remained wholly focused. Ghost was typically very bad at multitasking. "I can help you organize afterward if you like..." She shrugged. Ghost had to put in an extra step every now and then to keep pace with the taller woman. It made her feel a bit out of sync... like she was chasing Neena's shadow or something.

"If there is an afterward... I've seen people come out fine and some others come out not so fine."

"Never been in the danger room before... no reason until now and besides. I thought the first time I went, I'd need a responsible chaperon."

One eyebrow raised over Neena's dark glasses. " 'Responsible chaperon'?" she parroted, and chuckled.

"I can help you organize afterward if you like... If there is an afterward... I've seen people come out fine and some others come out not so fine."

Neena shrugged slightly. "Well, there is a reason its called the Danger Room. Though, to be honest, a small amount of common sense goes a long way in negating possible problems. Unfortunately, common sense is a rare commodity these days."

She wrinkled her nose again, realizing how old that statement made her sound. She shook her head again.

"Meh, don't worry about the office. I've still got to figure out what our uninvited guest was after in the first place," she grumbled.

Once they reached the basement, Neena palmed open the sliding door, revealing a large, empty, and rather plain area, reminiscent of a giant silver box. She made her way to a small computer console, the only furnishing in the empty space, beside the stair leading up to the Observation Room.

"Okay, let's see. Self-defense. Self-defense......" Neena mumbled to herself a bit as she entered several different codings. "Robbie's been taking a beating lately, so let's go with Toby instead."

An opening appeared in the wall, and a short-statured robot walked forward and bowed.

"Toby here is an interactive martial arts teacher," she introduced, and waved Ghost over to show her how to access the program. "He's programmed with the basics in most arts, and can teach you traditional self-defense much better than I can. He also comes with a holoprojector, so you can have him project any image you'd like."

As if responding to a cue, the robot began morphing through a number of images, including the current president of the United States. Neena raised an eyebrow.

"Now where'd he come from?" she mumbled in curiosity. Then she shrugged.

"As for me, I know very little about traditional self-defense." She stressed 'traditional' ever so slightly. "But I can show you a few tricks I picked up growing up. If you'd like."

Her tone of voice held an odd mix of pride and regret, and her expression had gone blank. Her hand hovered over the computer consol.

"Toby?

Before she would question more an opening appeared in the wall making her jump. A squatty robot walked forward and bowed. Ghost hesitated but bowed back unsure of what proper etiquette for robots entailed. So this was Toby? Ghost's eyes ran over the metallic features speculatively. It was good that he was a robot. She wouldn't worry about hurting a robot.

Neena motioned for Ghost to see the panel full of buttons to teach her how to access Toby while she introduced him. Ghost opened her mouth to ask about what exactly a holoprojector was when Toby started flashing and morphing between images. It was one surprise after the next. At least this one hadn't made her jump. Ghost couldn't help but smile at Neena and her reaction to seeing the President in the mix. So it was a silly, but smart robot? Scenarios were running silently through her mind. She could really get used to a program like this. She would also look into reserving the Danger Room so that she could treat this as a class and work it into her suddenly full schedule.

"As for me, I know very little about traditional self-defense." She stressed 'traditional' ever so slightly. "But I can show you a few tricks I picked up growing up. If you'd like."

Ghost nodded respectfully toward Neena. She didn't know the woman well enough to read her rigidity so she instead opted to let her superior know what she was thinking. "Thank you for showing me Toby. I believe that I can access his... program? when needed." She seemed a bit unsure if program was the right word there, but went on anyway. "It makes me feel better to know that I can learn something to potentially become a bit more self-sufficient, however, I do really respect you, Neena. I'm constantly impressed when I see you spring into action. As much as Toby can teach me, I can access him any time, right? So while I have you here distracted from work, I would very much like to learn from you."

She dipped her head in a small respectful gesture. She wasn't brown nosing one bit. She meant every word. While the robot would teach her precision and technique, Neena herself had mentioned that what she knew was was surprising and a-traditional. Ghost wasn't sure which would be more valuable in a fight, being able to surprise but still get your point across or be able to recognize technique and counter it. Hopefully, after enough training, she could potentially do some of both.