ISSUE #67

After learning that their mentor was leaving the institute the New Mutants went to find Dani as soon as they could. They had been through so much together and Dani had always been there to guide them. But now that support pillar, that light for the New Mutants, was leaving.

" Dani, were you even going to tell us they fired you?" David asked the woman.

" Look, I don't want it to be this way either. This is my home. I don't want to leave... But if I'm going to be of any help at all, it's going to be outside these walls." Dani explained. Her voice choked and her eyes watered. It was clear she was already on the verge of tears.

" But Dani, you're my guardian! What happens to me? What happens to the squad?" Josh asked the woman.

" You'll be okay, Josh. Xi'an will still be here, and Amara will be back soon. You can trust them.' Dani explained. " Look, I just can't be here right now." Dani exclaimed. The tears she had been fighting back finally came falling down, Sofia joined her in tears as she too had lost her powers. " Sofia, I'm so sorry." Dani told the girl.

" Me too." Sofia replied.

Dani heard a car horn and knew that it was time for her to leave. So, she broke the hug with Sofia and turned back to the rest of the New Mutants to say one last thing.

" Agent pierce is here to pick me up. But I want you all to remember one thing..." Dani stated. She looked at Emma bitterly and then back to the students. " Trust yourselves. Trust each other. Because sometimes, that's all you got." Dani told the group.

Emma then appraoched and started taking the kids back inside, but not before making one last smart remark.

" Excellent advice. Now, I know this is hard kids, but we need to let Danielle go." Emma told the group.

Ian ignored Emma and walked up to Dani, he didn't want to part with the woman on bad terms.

" Hey, Dani." Ian called out.

" Yes." Dani asked.

" I just.... I just wanted to say sorry, for treating you the way I have. You 've been good to me Dani, I just want you to know that... I never hated you. And I'll miss you. I wish we had more time. I try to live with no regrets, but seeing you leave... It hurts Dani." Ian told the woman.

Dani smiled and hugged the young man.

" It's okay. You're still a growing boy, no matter how strong you might get. You'll always be one of my kids. I love you like you were my own family and that will never change." Dani told the boy.

" I love you too, Dani. And if you need anything, no matter how small it might seem, just call. We'll be there for you... All of us." Ian told the woman. He let Dani go and the woman left the mansion.

" All right now, kids. It's time to go back inside." Emma stated.

She began herding all the students inside the mansion as there was more. But there was one person Emma wasn't going to let back in.

" Where do you think you're going?" Emma asked Laura.

" Knock it off, Frost. She's with me." Ian told the woman.

" Mr. Sinclair this girl is-" Emma started.

" Emma that's enough!" Scott declared. Emma and Ian both looked over to the imposing man standing in the doorway and Ian laughed. " Need I remind you of our last conversation?" Scott asked the woman.

" No." Emma replied begrudgingly.

" Good. Now go inside." Scott told the woman.

Emma walked past Scott and into the mansion, clearly in anger and Scott turned back to the two students.

" Hard to believe she used to be a supervillain, isn't it?" Scott asked. " Laura what do you say we find you a place to sleep tonight, huh?" Scott asked the girl.

Laura looked up to Ian, wondering whether or not she should go.

Ian smiled and hugged Laura.

" You go with Scott to find a place to sleep tonight. I'm gonna go see Logan, okay. If you want, you can come find us. Either way, I'll make sure to stop by your room tonight to make sure you're okay." Ian told the girl." Is that okay?" Ian asked.

" Yes." Laura replied.

Ian backdown and Laura walked off with Scott, leaving Ian behind to take what was happening.

Ian took a deep breath; it was all really happening. As he looked around, he realized that this was his reality now. This was the world he was given. A world where all the people he cared about slowly dwindled away to a handful. A world where the people he trusted betrayed him, a world where the people he swore to protect were left defenseless.

Ian wondered the halls and eventually, he found himself in Logan's room.

" What's up, runt? You look like shit." Logan told the young man as he took a swig from his cup of whiskey.

" I feel like it too." Ian replied eyeing the drunk, something Logan noticed. " Mind if I join you?" Ian asked.

" Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" Logan asked.

" I'm too young for a lot of things. Hasn't stopped me from doing it yet. And I might as well do it in a place that can be controlled, right?" Ian asked the man.

Logan nodded and pulled out another glass and placed it in front of Ian and filled it.

" Sip it first, this stuff is strong." Logan told the boy.

Ian nodded and picked up the glass and took a big gulp from it and cringed. The taste was strong indeed. Ian sniffed from the taste.

" Told ya." Logan stated

" Yeah... You did." Ian replied as he stared at the glass. " This is our world now. What do we do with it?" Ian asked the man.

" We live... Or we die." Logan spoke.

" Seems so simple, but it really isn't. Is it? There is a great darkness coming Logan. Perhaps the darkest of our entire species. And I don't know if... If we're gonna survive it, Logan. I don't like to admit... But I'm afraid. I'm afraid." Ian told the man.

" So am I, kid. So am I."