"So Ziva, how are you enjoying it here?" Lenny asked her as he watched her settle herself into a chair before his desk.

One shoulder lifted in a small shrug and then dropped back into place. "It's no better or worse than any other place I've stayed. However, you did promise me that if I joined up with you that you'd give me my powers back, Lenny. Are you going back on your promise?"

It had been a week of utter hell being stuck with his idiotic army. It was a wonder he managed to attract anyone to his cause in the first place, but the fact that he only attracted idiots proved that like attracted like. Not that she cared who fought for him one way or the other, but she certainly didn't want to die while she was stuck here.

He waved a hand around in the air at her. "Of course not, but there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration before I give you the antidote."

"Such as?"

"You were on the side of my enemies, Ziva. I need to be certain that you're loyal to me. I have something I want you to do for me to prove your loyalty."

One eyebrow arched at him. "What do you want me to do?" If he asked her to kill anyone she was out.

He sat back in his chair and stared at her a moment. Damn, he wished he could do that eyebrow thing, pissed him off that he couldn't. It was such a great gesture when you want to show someone your contempt for their idiocy.

"Bring me A'Cadia."

"Bring you A'Cadia? What, like she's a takeout pizza? She isn't going to come willingly; I thought you figured that one out already."

"Oh, she'll come, she belongs here, and she knows it."

The smile she sent him was patronizing as if she were indulging a small child. "She won't leave Xavier's, not now."

Lenny sat up straighter, damn now would be the perfect time for that frickin' eyebrow gesture! "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Logan is there, she won't leave him." Ziva watched the confusion that filled Lenny's face.

"Isn't he a little old for her?"

She burst out laughing. "Quite a bit. And that's disgusting, Lenny. Logan is her father."

Staring, that is what he was doing, just staring at her. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but nothing came out. She waited a bit, giving his tiny little brain time to catch up. Actually, she didn't have enough time to wait for his tiny brain to put two and two together. It could take hours.

"I believe she asked you about Logan before she left. You refused to discuss him." She shrugged. "I'll try to bring her in if you insist, I can be rather persuasive. But I'm telling you, she most likely isn't going to come." She rose from her chair. "I'll check back in with you later."

Time to make a phone call. She made her way outside the building and propped her back against the brick of the wall, took out her phone and stared down at it uncertainly. "Just do it," she muttered. Another minute passed, she cursed her stupidity and dialed A'Cadia's number.

After three rings, she answered sounding more than a little cranky. "What in the hell do you want?"

"I need you to meet me somewhere. I need to talk to you," Ziva told her only to receive a disbelieving snort in response, followed by several curses.

"You honestly think I trust you? What in the hell were you thinking? Craig is a blubbering mess and Mellissa has gone through a truckload of whipped cream! And Skylar ... well at least she isn't little miss sunshine, but still, this place is seriously depressing. That is saying a lot considering some of the places I worked, including working for the wonder moron Lenny. And you think I'd meet you somewhere to talk? Kiss off, Sparky!"

"A'Cadia, this is important. Please. I swear Lenny doesn't know about this talk. Just meet me, I'll come alone I promise." Silence. Drawn out until she thought she'd lose her mind.

"Fine. You try anything and I'll cut your heart out of your chest, I don't give a crap if it will upset Craig!" The phone disconnected before she could respond.

With a small sigh, she sent A'Cadia a text with the address and time they should meet. She shoved her phone back into her pocket. What had she expected after her desertion, a bright cheery hello and a how are you doing? She had a couple of hours to kill before she went to meet A'Cadia. As she headed back into the building, she wondered what trouble she could cause in that time. Whatever she came up with, it would be funny watching Lenny's morons try and fix what she'd done to cause the chaos in the first place.

***

Storm stood at the front of the classroom working her way through her lecture for today, but she had a feeling some of the students weren't paying attention. What few they had left. A lot of parents had pulled their children out as soon as news spread about Lenny's Compound 13.

"We know that mutations can appear in many different forms and that mutants' powers can manifest in any combination of ways. From a basic camouflage mutation to telepathy and telekinesis. As well as those mutants who can control elements, like my ability to control the weather for example. Or the ability to control water, air, electricity."

The second the word electricity left her mouth, Mellissa started wailing loudly from her spot at the back of the room. Storm nearly groaned. She had forgotten that she needed to watch what she said around Mellissa.

"Can I be excused from class today?" Mellissa balled as she scooted out of her seat.

"Yes, of course, Mellissa, go on."

Hugging a can of whipped cream, she made her way out the door and up to her room. Stopping to glance into Craig's room. He hadn't moved, not an inch. Her nose wrinkled, after a week of remaining mostly in his room, face down, on his bed. He was getting a little ripe. Her sniffles carried her down the hallway into her room and over to her bed, where she lay on her back, eating whipped cream. Her only comfort now. She gave the can a little hug, frowned when she went to spray some whipped cream into her mouth and nothing came out. The can flew across the room, hit the wall, and crashed to the floor.

Skylar, looking morose, stuck her head in the door and stared at Mellissa. "Can empty again?"

"Yeah, sucks. I need more and I need it soon."

Skylar entered the room and pulled a can from behind her back. "There ya go."

Mellissa thanked her and Skylar gave her a small sad smile before she turned and left. She hugged the can, popped the cap off, and filled her mouth with the fluffy, white, sugar rush. It would keep the darkness away for a little bit. She hugged the can tightly and dozed off.

Downstairs in class, A'Cadia pulled a Mellissa and got misty-eyed about Ziva so she could be excused from class and head out to meet Ziva at the designated spot. "This so better not be a trap or Sparky is gonna get spitted like a pig," she grumbled under her breath as she put her car into drive and pulled out of the garage.

Backing into the garage had advantages, like a quick getaway. The Audi hugged every curve, causing a tiny grin to lift her lips as she drove. Mellissa wanted to drive the R8 Spyder more than anything, no way was she letting the little brat anywhere near her precious car. She never left her keys anywhere the little rug rat could find them. She pulled into the parking lot of the building Ziva had told her to meet at, it was abandoned, well this could certainly be a trap. She put the car in park and stepped out, eyes searching for trouble.

Ziva rounded the corner of the building and strode over to her. A'Cadia unsheathed her claws, just in case Ziva decided to zap her.

"There's no need for the claws, I'm alone, just like I said I would be."

"Right, zap me and you'll regret it, Sparky."

"I still don't have my powers. Look, Lenny doesn't trust me—"

"He ain't the only one, Sparky," A'Cadia told her as she sheathed her claws.

"You don't think I know that? I didn't do this because I had a sudden desire to do evil."

"Coulda fooled me." A'Cadia turned back to her car. "This is a waste of time, run on back to Lenny like a good puppy."

Ziva snagged her sleeve and ignored the scathing look A'Cadia sent her. "No. I need your help."

That gave her pause. "You need my help?"

Ziva gave her a nod and stepped back. "Lenny wants me to bring you in to rejoin him. I tried to tell him you wouldn't leave the school, but he insists that you'll come. A'Cadia, I went with Lenny because I thought if he gave me the antidote then our lab could use my blood to make our own antidote."

A'Cadia sent her a startled look. "Damn. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you couldn't do it, the stuff doesn't work on you. Lenny would have no reason to give you the antidote! Please, you have to come back with me, if you don't I don't think he'll ever trust me enough to give me the antidote!"

A'Cadia stared at her with a frown. "How do I know this isn't some ruse you and Lenny cooked up to get me back there?"

Ziva sighed and stepped back. "You don't. I have no way to prove otherwise to you."

With a nod, she turned to her car. "Well, we had better get going or Lenny will start to wonder where you've gotten to."

"You're going to come?"

"Yes, but again, try anything and I'll skewer you."

Ziva gave her a nod and got into the car. She'd taken the bus here, so Lenny wouldn't see any of his precious company cars missing from the parking lot. Calling them a company fleet was being generous. It was more like a few vehicles some of the morons in his army had swiped out of parking lots. Most barely ran and it wasn't as if anyone was making an effort to fix them. Calling them death traps was being generous.

"I think if we work together we can find a way to get the antidote even if Lenny continues to make excuses for not giving it to me."

A'Cadia only nodded as they drove to the office building.

Ziva felt a great deal of relief. If A'Cadia hadn't agreed to come with she would have been flat out of luck where Lenny was concerned. And she had a feeling his treatment of those he mistrusted wasn't something she wanted to experience. Hopefully, everything would end up going as planned. She couldn't afford any mistakes on this mission. Not one. The school was counting on her, even if they didn't know it.