Lenny stalked out of his office and over to Brittany's desk. "Are the new mutants ready yet?"

She slowly set down her magazine and stared up at him. "Sure Lenny, the lab people said they passed all their testy thingies this morning." She waved a hand in the air as she spoke.

"Good, with the addition of these new mutants we can finally hit the school."

"Oh, I still need a new phone for my desk annnnd you need to renew the subscription for my Teen Beat magazine, it's almost expired. I'll die if I miss an issue!"

"What? Are you kidding, I'm not paying for your stupid magazine subscription!" he blustered.

"But, Lenny, you've been paying for it the whole time I've been here!" She stared up at him with wide, sad eyes and gave her eyelashes a bat.

He grumbled. "Fine whatever. Just send out a memo and get everyone set for the attack. We go tonight."

"Memo," she said slowly as if testing out the word. "Sure, Lenny."

She had several hours, hopefully, she figured it out before it was time to leave.

***

Mellissa gave the cooooouch a tiny pat. "Good night, coooouch! See you in the morning."

She skipped out of the tiny house the cooooouch lived in and decided to walk around the side of the school and go in the front, instead of going in through the back door, she'd been hitting the whipped cream hard lately and could use the walk. She skipped around toward the front of the school, pulling a sucker from her pocket as she did and unwrapped it before sticking it into her mouth. She rounded the side of the school and headed for the front door. Her steps slowed and she came to a sudden stop, stared out over the front lawn her eyes scanning the area. Her jaw dropped open and she nearly lost her lollipop.

With a tiny squeal, she raced up the front steps, through the door, and into the building, screaming at the top of her lungs the entire way. "CODE 7! CODE 7! OMG, MAJOR CODE 7! WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE?"

Angela shuffled out of a room down the hall and frowned at Mellissa. "What's a code 7 again?"

Mellissa stopped, jerked around, and glared at her. "I gave you a list! Didn't you memorize it? Why do I bother!" She took off running, going up the stairs as quickly as she could. "CODE 7 PEOPLE! LET'S GO THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

Storm yelled up the stairs at her. "Mellissa, do not run with that lollipop in your mouth!"

She halted and glared over the banister at Storm. "Fine!" Dragging her feet, she continued down the hallway more slowly, still yelling, "CODE 7! CODE 7!" as loudly as she could.

A'Cadia stuck her head out of her room, scowling. "What the hell are you rushing around screaming about, brat?"

"CODE 7! Does no one listen to me? And I can't run anymore 'cause Storm said I can't run with the sucker!" Mellissa screamed in her face, holding her DUM DUM lollipop and waving it around in the air.

"What in the hell is a code 7?"

Angela came scrambling up the stairs with a piece of paper clutched in her hand. "Emergency! Code 7 is an emergency! Um, what kind of emergency, Mellissa?"

"The kind where Lenny and his stupid army are out on the front lawn! CODE 7, FOLKS!" she screamed as she went strolling off down the hall again.

Ziva and Skylar came out of their room along with Craig. "What is your problem?" Ziva asked her.

"CODE 7! Ug no one listens to me!"

"Lenny's out front with his army!" A'Cadia yelled down the corridor from her doorway.

"Crap! Mellissa run and go get Storm!"

"Sure, but oh crap, I can't run. Storm said so!"

Ziva gave her the evil eye for saying crap. "Just go!"

Craig scowled at the lot of them. "Let's just get outside before Lenny and the doofus squad move in!"

Logan came ambling down the hall, scratching at his bare belly, yawning. It would appear the Wolverine just awoke from a nap. "What's all the yammering about?"

Mellissa propped a hand on a hip and tried to give him a good glare, it didn't work, no one could out glare Logan. "Lenny and his army are out front!"

That woke Logan up. "Right, well let's go then." He headed for the stairs, stopped and swiveled back around, heading back toward his room. "As soon as I put something other than sweatpants on and get a shirt. Meet you guys downstairs."

A'Cadia made a face and turned away. "Let's get downstairs."

Ziva chuckled at the look on A'Cadia's face. "Shirtless dad making ya queasy?"

"Shut up."

Craig smothered a laugh. Ziva didn't bother. "Come on, Logan's smokin'." Craig frowned at her when she said it.

"Ewww! Shut up, Sparky! I do not want to hear this!" She sent Ziva a scathing look and stomped away, heading downstairs.

"So. Worth. It."

Craig shook his head at her. "Why can't you two get along?"

"No clue. It's more fun this way?" She shrugged and they followed A'Cadia downstairs.

"Wait for me!" Skylar came running down the hall.

"Where did you go?" Craig asked her.

"I had to change. I was still in my yoga clothes I can't fight in yoga pants and a sports bra!" She gave a delicate little shudder.

Ziva shook her head and stepped off the bottom stair. Like it mattered if she battled Lenny in yoga pants and a sports bra or jeans and a T-shirt. Big difference. The gang was nearly all gathered. The curtain climbers were clustered in a corner, they must be strategizing—despite the dire situation—about how to annoy Storm. Near the door, Storm had her cell plastered to her ear, judging from the angry set of her features; she couldn't get Rogue to answer her phone. Probably out on a late-night date with lover boy sucking face. Now that she, Craig, and Skylar had joined the group, all that was left was Logan.

"Okay then, let's go empty the pool," Logan called out as he stepped off the bottom stair and headed for the front door.

Angela ticked her head to the side, her little nose scrunched, she looked confused, and a bit like a pug. "Huh?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "Lenny, Tiny Dancer. Water. Empty the pool."

"Ohhh, I get it now!" She giggled, her hand over her mouth.

"Sure, good. So, if everyone is up to speed, may we proceed?" Logan asked eyebrows raised high.

When no one said a word, he turned and flung the front doors open. Everyone followed him outside. Lenny and his crew had advanced across the lawn by now and were nearly to the front door. Moving in a slow progression toward the school.

Ziva could only imagine the slow movement of the army wasn't because Lenny wanted to give them time to formulate a defense, it was due to the fact he was, um, 'riding' a stick pony across the lawn toward the school, leading his army forward. An honest to goodness stick pony. Like a small child would have. A stick with a stuffed horsey head on it. She felt the need to repeat it to herself several times in a couple of different ways to get it to sink in. He probably thought he looked like a regal king riding into battle on his battle horse with his crown perched atop his head. The little, uh, pony was white, with a gray mane. She shook her head. The guy was seriously delusional. She may understand his anger at his parents, but she also had to admit the guy was a little touched in the head. They stood at the bottom of the steps and waited for the group to come to a stop in front of them several feet away.

Lenny grinned happily and 'dismounted' from his horse. "Frank, watch Prince Cinnamon Boots for me." He held out the stick pony to a mutant standing nearby. The man took the pony and stepped back behind Lenny.

Ziva burst out laughing. "Prince Cinnamon Boots?"

"No fair, why does he get a stick pony? I want one and Storm won't let me have one!" Mellissa stomped her foot.

"Not now, Mellissa!" Storm bit out.

"I want a stick pony!" she whined.

"Shut Up!" Lenny snapped. Everyone stared at him. He smiled. "Good, now that I have your attention we can proceed."

"With kicking your as—"

"Mellissa!" Storm cut her off, tone full of warning.

"What? I was gonna say assets! Really! See you never let me finish, you always jump to conclusions!"

"Behave or I'll make you put a dollar in the swear jar even though you didn't finish that word!" Storm warned her.

"I don't have any money."

"I'll send your parents a bill on your graduation day. That will upset them a great deal, don't you think?"

Mellissa grew quiet. Although, she did send a glare in Storm's direction.

"Are you done? Great, moving on. You have no powers and I am in charge. My Compound 13 will soon be distributed worldwide ... blah, blah, blah. You should simply surrender now and save us all a whole boatload of trouble." Lenny put a hand up and moved it around in the air in what they supposed was meant to be a very blasé manner. But ended up only making him look rather feminine. Especially in his powder-blue suit jacket, rolled up sleeves, and pastel pink T-shirt. The sockless loafers weren't doing him any favors either.

Mellissa raised her hand. "I have a question, well not really a question it's more of an observation."

"What do you want, brat?" Lenny bit out.

"Uh, A'Cadia still has her powers, so do Logan and Storm. Actually, a lot of people here still do. So, you're kinda, um, well, wrong. You aren't really in charge here, Sea World."

"Lenny, my name is Lenny!"

"Yeah, your point, Kiddie Pool?" Mellissa grinned at him.

He chose to ignore Mellissa rather than continue to argue with her. Seemed pointless to continue since the little brat had no point. He turned back to the others instead. "My point is, you pledge your allegiance to me and my army and I will be more than glad to provide you with the antidote."

Stevie snorted. "As if, Roarin' Rapids. We are good and you are evil. Live it, learn it."

Lenny's jaw clenched, but he ignored Stevie's jab. "A'Cadia, my little clawed lovely, you know you want to come back to me."

"Uhhh, no. Not in the least. And if you call me that again, you'll find out exactly how lovely the claws are."

"You do. You liked it here on this side. You have this whole wild side that you were just beginning to explore. Come on, you can't tell me that you don't want to embrace that again?"

Logan growled and took a step toward Lenny. A'Cadia shot him a warning glare, the growling subsided, but he didn't step back. She turned back to Lenny. "I'm fine right here."

He shrugged. "You'll come back, you'll see. You'll see." He held out a hand to Ziva. "Ziva, come on, I'll give you your powers back. You must miss them."

She rubbed her temple. "Yeah, I do. Without the extra electricity running through me, I've had an almost constant headache." She jerked a thumb toward the curtain climbers. "They haven't helped, either."

"Hey!" Mellissa called out.

Lenny smirked at Ziva. "If you come with me, align yourself with my army, I'll restore your powers."

Ziva looked at him, considering things. Craig put a hand on her arm. "Ziva? You aren't really thinking about this, are you?"

"Back off, American Pie," she muttered. Craig gave her a wounded look but took a step back.

She looked at Lenny, taking in his absurd outfit. "I wouldn't date you if you were," a pause then she continued, "you are male, right?"

Lenny glowered at her, folding his arms over the powder blue jacket. "Yes. Don't push me, Ziva."

"I wouldn't date you if you were the last male on Earth. However, if you give me my powers back, I'll join your stupid army."

"Ziva! Wh ... what are you ... why ..." Mellissa stuttered, before giving up as words seemed to fail her. She stood there her arms held out in front of her lamely.

Ziva waved her off. "Well?"

Lenny held out a hand to her. "Come along then." She crossed over to stand beside Lenny, who smirked back at the others smugly.

"You won't get away with this!" Mellissa snarled out at him with little effect considering the tears in her eyes and her trembling lower lip.

"Already have, short stick. Frank, my steed." He held his hand out for the stick pony and received it from the mutant who had been minding it during the exchange. "Well, I've managed to get one of the things I came for." He sent a look at A'Cadia.

"Yeah, and the other is staying right where she is," A'Cadia growled at him.

"Barbie, take us home."

"Oh, right sure, Lenny." In a blink, they vanished.

Mellissa burst into tears and threw herself onto the ground. Logan sighed heavily, picked her up, and carried her inside. Craig stood and stared at the spot where Ziva had last been standing, looking more than a little lost. Skylar blinked back tears, tugged at one of Craig's hands, and led him inside.

"No! No! Put me down! She can't be gone! Why would she do that, she hates that stupid fish stick!" Mellissa squirmed around until Logan had no choice but to set her down. She dropped to the carpeted floor in the living room like a limp rag doll and lay there, sobbing, pounding her little fists on the floor, and kicking her feet.

Skylar left Craig at the door to his room; he stumbled inside and flopped, face down onto the bed. "Gone. She's gone. All is darkness. A black hole wasteland of emptiness, devoid of everything. My heart torn out and tossed into the void of nothingness. Cold. Dark. Black. Not a single star to light the way. My light is gone. My star has gone dim."

Logan stood in the doorway frowning at Craig's monologue, wondering when he'd become poetic. Well, this was going to be fun. Craig was a depressed mess all because of a girl he hadn't even had one date with. Mellissa was throwing a tantrum the likes of a two-year-old. Skylar was sitting on her bed, staring at Ziva's bed as if her world of happy-happy-joy-joy had all been a complete lie. Yeah, crazy fun all around. And Storm wondered why he didn't like dealing with teenagers.

What the hell had Ziva been thinking to go and join up with Lenny? Her powers? He doubted it was as simple as that. He would never have pegged the girl as a traitor. Sure, she was cranky and disagreeable. But hell, so was he. So was A'Cadia, for that matter if one wanted to go and debate such things.

Logan turned away from Craig's door and headed for his room. Storm was downstairs trying to convince Mellissa to head up to bed. That probably wasn't going to happen. Not anytime soon, anyway. She was screaming and asking for cans of whipped cream, probably to drown her sorrows in. He wondered, for a moment, where Angela and Stevie had gotten to, but he'd let Storm worry over that, he wanted to crawl into bed and forget this night had taken place.

He could hear Mellissa's screams ringing through the house. Oh yeah, she was not going to sleep anytime soon. He shoved his bedroom door shut, grimaced because he could still hear Mellissa's wails, stripped out of his clothes, and collapsed on the bed.