"What happened?"

"Did you remember anything at all?"

"Even the slighest bit of memory would help,"

"Where were you all this time?"

"When did you came back?"

"Where's your glasses?"

"How are you?"

"I'm sorry," that was all Scott could respond back to the never ending and repetitive questions that were thrown at him as soon as he took a step in the school.

He couldn't see who were asking him neither could he really focus on one for so long without someone asking him another question. It was like a cycle almost and it didn't help that he heard those questions everywhere. He felt useless after hearing each question and was only able to apologize rather than providing them eith the answers they desire to hear.

Not a minute afterwards, Scott heard an angry and unhappy voice snapping at the people surrounding him. He could easily recognize the voice since Warren tend to snap at others for their mistake, which is not quite uncommon.

"I thought they were all in their rooms," Warren sounded frustrated and Scott could hear him cussing a few curses under his breath too, but it wasn't quite loud, most likely to prevent the younger children to hear him.

"You know how people are when rumours spread, Warren," Teresa replied back, sounding much calmer and steadier than Warren was. She didn't seem frustrated and Scott had a feeling that Teresa predicted this to happen as well.

"Summers doesn't look like he enjoys the attention right now," Warren remarked, "not like his usual arrogant self."

"Well, we should not dwell on the past for now and focus on the present," Teresa told him as she tugged Scott's hand to the right. He followed Teresa and turned right, no longer feeling Warren's hand beside him.

He wasn't entirely sure what Teresa did to get Warren to let Teresa take over. Perhaps Teresa had made a gesture to him or perhaps she had communicated with him through telepathy. Either way though, Scott was just relieved that there were less people around him. It was quite odd for Scott to be that way and he knew this too but for now, the less, the better.

It wasn't too long before Teresa and Scott stopped in front of a room. He figured that Teresa had led him to Charles's office since that's where Charles is most of the time other than the training room or library where he would be teaching the younger students.

"Are you going to be leaving?" Scott spoke up all of a sudden when Teresa let go of his hand to open the door for him. "Only if you want me to," she responded lightly as she opened the door, "but I won't be coming with you inside. Charles insists for you to come into his office alone."

Scott took a deep breath. For some odd reasons, anxiety grew in Scott's stomach from Teresa's response. Teresa didn't make a remark about it but Scott was more than sure that she noticed it because the next thing Scott felt was a hand on his shoulder. He nearly flinched until he realized that it was Teresa. "It will all be alright. Charles understands your situation. He won't be bringing up many things. He just wants to see how you are doing," she informed Scott.

Scott's shoulders relaxed when he realized that Teresa was trying to comfort him and nodded his head.

He wasn't being clingy to Teresa but she is one of the only people he felt comfortable with at that moment, though he supposed it's because she prioritized more on his well being than answers to her questions. "You'll be fine," was the last thing Scott heard Teresa say before he took a few steps forward.

Scott knew he had just entered the office due to the sudden change of temperature and the sudden bright light in front of him that had managed to make its way through Scott's bandages. Scott didn't mind it but he preferred to be outside where the temperature is warm and a light breeze would come to him every once in a while. Scott took a deep breath before letting it out again.

It'll be fine. Scott thought to himself as he focused on his senses. Scott could feel the presence of three- wait, three? Scott furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He remembered back to Teresa's words about Charles wanting to talk to him alone, but Scott was more than sure there was three people in the room at that moment, not including himself. Since Teresa had gotten attacked in the past, he had a feeling Erik was with them too to watch how their conversation will unfold. But who was the third person? It couldn't be Hank. Scott had overheard Jean's conversation with Warren. She told him that Hank was searching throughout his lab for a spare of Scott's glasses.

"Welcome Scott," a kind voice said, as he felt someone approach him. Scott wanted to position himself in a defence stance out of instinct but he resisted to do so since he recognized the voice.

"Professor," Scott acknowledged his presence with a small nod. He could feel someone tall standing beside Charles and he knew it was Erik while he felt the third person's presence to still be at the corner of the office, standing frighteningly still like a ghost or a shadow.

Shadow... Scott thought with consideration. Perhaps that's what he will call this mysterious person for the mean time.

"How are you feeling? Do you have any injuries that needs to be treated?" Concern was laced in Charles's voice as he asked those questions, but Scott just shook his head in response.

"Are you sure? Bruises and cuts are also something that needs to be treated," but again, Scott shook his head and that was the truth.

Nowhere in his body did he feel pain except a headache or two, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He has had worse, after all. However, Scott has doubts that Charles believed what he's saying, so in an attempt to prevent Charles from asking again, he told him, "I am a little hungry though."

A small chuckle from the corner could be heard loud and clear to everyone in the office, causing Scott to pause. The chuckle didn't sound malicious or sarcastic, but rather a light and geniunely amused one. It sounded a little deep and this confirmed Scott's suspicion that the third person is a male. Scott might not be able to see at that moment but he could picture Shadow- the nickname he's using for the person at the corner -wearing a slightly amused look on his face. Erik was most likely glaring at him as soon as he did it, but Scott was sure that Shadow only ignored him.

Erik probably thought it was inappropriate of Shadow to do that and perhaps it was, but Scott was a little grateful to Shadow for making the tension in the office lighter with his action. It made Scott less anxious as well.

"Well, we don't want to make you stay here any longer and starve. As soon as you are with Teresa, she will lead you to the kitchen and get a nice meal for you," Charles informed Scott, surprising him.

"We are done here?" He asked for confirmation and Charles nodded with a smile, though Scott couldn't see it. "Yes, we are done here, Scott. I only wanted to see how you are doing but if there is anything you would like to share with me soon or later, i'll always be here to listen. It isn't a must for you to talk to anyone right now if you're not comfortable with it yet. It's your choice."

Scott nodded. "Thank you," he said.

"You're very welcome," Charles replied, and Scott could picture him saying it with a warm smile. "Now, off you go. I have already told Teresa to take you to the kitchen to get food. Eat well and get enough rest too. I will come to meet you again later."

Scott thanked Charles again, before he turned around to face the door but he struggled to find the door handle and continued this for a few moments until he could feel a hand gently grab one of his hands, causing Scott to stop moving them. The slender hand felt a little soft but cold too, reminding Scott of Teresa's, though hers were much softer. Scott suspected that the hand belonged to Shadow, but he was a little confused how he got to him that fast without making a lot of noises. Shadow led Scott's hand to the door handle and he gave him a small smile. "Thank you," Scott told Shadow. He didn't reply back but Scott had a feeling that Shadow gave him a smile in response.

Scott opened the office door and felt the warm air hit his body. Before he could move forward, he heard Erik saying, "You still want to believe that he didn't do it?"

"Be patient, Erik. Now is not the time," Charles responded to Erik in a hushed whisper, scolding him almost. Scott took a few steps forward slowly after he was finished listening, cautious of his surroundings and confused as to where Teresa was. Almost as if she had read his mind, Teresa suddenly grabbed his hand. It startled him a little and Scott took a step back because of it, causing Teresa to let go of Scott's hand. "Apologies for the sudden touch, I didn't mean to make you startled," Teresa apologized to Scott, before she slowly rested her hand on his to tell him that it was her.

Scott accepted Teresa's apology and he showed it by holding Teresa's hand. "You could have told me that you were starving before we came here. We wouldn't have to come to the office if it were the case," she stated, causing Scott's eyebrows to furrow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to get what he thought he was getting from Teresa's statement.

"The visit to Charles's office wasn't quite necessary. The one necessary is the one where he'll be approaching you while you're with us. If you said that you had any injuries, needed some rest or food before going here, you wouldn't have to come to his office at all," If Scott had his glasses on at that moment, he would have widened his eyes at Teresa's explanation but at the same time, he was kind of glad to have visited Charles in the office.

A lot of things were happening while Scott was away- unconscious, to be more precise- and the fact that he got to meet with a new person who had most likely just came in before he woke up was interesting. He wondered if his friends knew about Shadow as well. However, Scott was wondering about the wrong thing. Because even if his friends knew about this Shadow person, the question is would they tell Scott about him or would they hide the truth in order to protect him?

••••

Teresa watched Scott as he processed the information she had just told him in his head and wondered what he was thinking about. She was quite curious and might consider asking him about it later. Mind reading is an option for her and she highly doubt that Scott would be able to detect her presence in his head if she did try to but Teresa preferred not to use her gift, especially mind reading, to invade other people's privacy. It is after all an important thing to her and to many others.

However, Teresa knew that Scott has already met with Devin. She knew it when she looked into Charles's office and saw Devin standing right beside Scott. She suspected that he helped lead Scott to the door, but she wasn't quite sure what his main purpose to be in the room was. It didn't matter to Teresa at that moment. She would just have to think about it later because she needed to focus on the current problem. Since Scott has unofficially met with Devin, she has a feeling that Scott has thousands of questions about "the mysterious person in the office". She dubbed Devin as that because she had doubts that Scott knew Devin's real name. Teresa knew Charles and she knew he wouldn't have wanted to put pressure on an already anxious and changing Scott by introducing Devin to him because by doing so, Charles would have to explain the whole situation to him as well and it would only cause Scott to have more stress and anxiety.

Not to mention the fact that Teresa caught sight of Erik and Charles talking to each other. She wasn't able to hear their conversation since she didn't have a really good hearing, which was something her brother has, but she was more than sure that Scott overheard it and has a whole lot more questions about it too.

"Teresa," Speak of the Devil and the Devil will come to you. Teresa thought when she heard Erik's voice. She turned around to look up at Erik who had just came out of the office. "Have you been practicing your powers yet?"

Small talk. Teresa nodded. "I have, but not as much as I want to because of the many things going on," she glanced inside the office to look at Devin while Erik glanced at Scott. "Well, either way, be alert at all times and never let your guard down," Teresa chuckled a bit at that. "I never let my guard down." She said, and there was a hint of darkness within her words.

Teresa glanced at Scott and could feel that he felt a little intimidated at that. He knew it wasn't directed to him but the way she said it probably made him think that she wanted revenge, though it had most likely made him question why she wanted revenge and who she wanted to get revenge on. However, contrary to Scott's supposed suspicion, Teresa didn't do it because she wanted revenge. She did it to show Erik and perhaps even Scott that she was perfectly capable of handling an enemy and is willing to show a little of her dark side if necessary.

Many people have underestimated Teresa for never showing her powers before or only using them when it's urgent. Now is a time when she will have to use her strengths to fight against a mysterious enemy.

Erik had a proud smirk on his face, nodding at Teresa's words and trusted that she will keep Scott and herself safe, though some part of him still felt worried for her. It's the fatherly parts, he supposed, which reminded him of the other reason why he approached Teresa. "And I also want to talk to you about—"

"Scott's hungry. You're hungry, aren't you?" Teresa turned to Scott and tugged his hand gently to draw his attention towards them. Scott was surprised when Teresa cut Erik off but nonetheless, he nodded to support Teresa's statement. Teresa knew what Erik wanted to talk about while Scott was clueless but he had a feeling it was something about Teresa's relations with him. Teresa is his friend- one of his closest friends if his blurry memory was correct, and it's his job to support whatever is best for her. "We should go to the kitchen soon. Warren has already prepared some meals for Scott," Scott heard Teresa inform Erik.

Erik nodded. "You should go now. We are able to talk later when Charles visits Scott after he is done with his work," he said, hinting slightly to Teresa that he knew of her true intentions and would definitely talk to her later.

"That's.. good. We'll see you later," she replied back, not knowing what she should say to him. Teresa tugged Scott's hand again but this time, she used a bit of a stronger force, gesturing for him to follow her while she walks. Scott understood it and followed Teresa's intructions exactly, following behind her as she led him to the kitchen.

"Family problems?" Scott questioned after he could no longer feel Erik's presence.

"Not quite," Teresa responded, "it's rather complicated."

"Try me," Scott shrugged slightly, "I'm like the main complicated thing right now. It's good to know what i missed than nothing at all, and since when did Erik found out about you being his...?" He purposely left out the last part of his sentence just in case someone was near them without him knowing.

"I'm not entirely sure, but he had most likely found out before he came to our rescue when we got into that car accident," a blurry image flashed before Scott's mind before it became clearer in a second. He could see several scratches on Teresa's face but there was one particular large red gash across her cheek that was threatening to gush out blood. However, it was healing at a rapid speed and he could feel a wave of confusion through his body, as if he was there in person right at that moment. Scott heard a voice that sounded precisely like his.

"This must be one of her powers," he heard himself say in a relieved voice but he could hear a hint of tiredness as well. Scott could tell that he was trying to fight off his wounds in order to check on Teresa and look after her but he was unable to stay conscious any longer due to them. "I'm sorry for not looking after you when you were unconscious," Scott murmured, feeling guilty. He was thinking of the possibilities of what would have happened to them if the X-men had not came to their rescue as quick as they did. What if the person who had made their car explode came back for them to finish the job? What if they had decided to kidnap Scott and Teresa? What if they had wanted to torture them but was unable to due to the team? All of these possibilities and many more were running through Scott's mind at that moment.

Teresa took notice of this and squeezed his hand tightly. "It's not your fault, Scott. We were both heavily wounded that time. Your wounds were far greater and took a while to heal," she told him, but it didn't comfort him.

"But what if the person who attacked us came back? They would have finished the job and we would have been killed off without a second thought," Scott argued back, his head hung in shame.

If it wasn't because of the guilt of a leader, it was because of the guilt of a friend.

"You can trust me when I say this, Scott. Even when we were both unconscious, we were still protected," Scott felt confused at that statement, causing Teresa to chuckle, before explaining, "The attack was rather unexpected and there was little to no protection around us when we got hit. But after we did, I used up all my strength to make sure there's maximum protection on us. That way, no one that wants to harm us is able to pass through it without it wounding them badly."

"How did the team get to us then?" Scott questioned, still feeling a bit confused.

"Well, I knew that if the protection around us blocks everyone from going to us, then no one would be able to teat our wounds and would most likely have an infection because of it. So, I had to make sure that the protection around us will only prevent those with harmful intentions towards us. The others are allowed to go through," Teresa answered.

"I was actually still conscious when you went to check up on me, but I was too exhausted to even open my eyes after creating the protection around us. I made it quite large because I didn't want to take any risks of a second explosion that could have possibly happened any moment that time," she revealed to Scott. "But I really do appreciate you for looking out for me. It's good to know that someone has my back, even when you were wounded yourself."

"It's what friends do," Scott gave a small smile at the direction he heard Teresa's voice coming from.

"And what leaders do too. They always look out for others," Teresa stated. "It's too soon to ask this but i'm curious. Do you still want to be a leader of the X-men? I heard from Warren that you and him were fighting for the position of a leader for the team before any of this incidents had happened."

Scott shrugged. "It's too soon to tell. But if I'm still not able to see and have to wear this cloth all the time, then Warren has to become the leader,"

Teresa wore a curious look. "And why is that?"

"Because I am not able to see?" Scott said in puzzled voice. He thought he made it clear in his previous sentence.

"No, I know that. But why would you be quick to say that you'll let Warren become the leader of X-men just because you're not able to see? You're able to ask for Jean's, Charles's or even my assistance to help you to see in the battle field," Teresa asked him out of curiosity.

"I don't want to make it any harder for the team," he murmured.

Teresa hummed at his words. "It is a shame that you are going to let go of your dream, especially since Hank and Charles were already thinking for you to become leader," Teresa's words caused a shocked look to form on Scott's face as he processed the information into his head. "They were?" He managed to let out, voice in disbelief.

Although Scott had been training and working very hard for the position of a leader of X-men, Warren had been doing the same. Charles and Hank have been testing and observing them ever since Raven left the school to see which of them is best suited to become the next leader. It explained the tension they have between them, along with the heated fights they have with one another sometimes, even if the matter was quite small. Teresa once saw them fight over a bag of potato chips, even though there was still many and all kinds of different flavoured potato chips near them.

"Yes, they were. They currently still are actually, but I should not talk about this with you. It's probably not be in your interest anymore since you don't want to be the leader now," Teresa responded, glancing back and forth at him to see his reaction.

"But why do they still want me to be leader? I know i'm good, but Warren is available and he can become a good leader too. He passed all of the tests Hank and Charles had given him, and he won't need much help in things. He has his wings and can watch out for everyone in the battle field up high in the sky if needed," Scott was feeling quite doubtful and attempted to ask as many questions as he could think of in order to see if what Teresa was saying was the truth.

"There are some qualities that Charles and Hank wants in a leader that you have while Warren doesn't. Of course, it doesn't mean Warren is any less worthy of being a leader, but it had certainly made you catch Hank and Charles's eyes for that position." Teresa answered truthfully while Scott stayed silent for a few moments, mind still boggled at the thoughts running through his head. "But even if you still feel like you are not ready for that position yet due to the current circumstances, it's alright. It's your decision to make in the end and if it makes you feel better, almost everyone already consider you as the leader of X-men."

Scott looked intrigued for a split second, before he cracked a smile in amusement and perhaps even a small amount of happiness. "I wonder how that happened."

"Well, it's probably because you always act like one around the team during public events or in missions too, even though you were not one officially yet," Scott let out a small laugh. "You were probably so serious too because Peter wouldn't stop talking about it with me all night long afterwards."

"Peter wouldn't stop teasing me either whenever he bumps into me or when he's bored. He'll always use his super speed to try and find me all around the mansion to tease me about something 'too serious' that i was doing," Scott told Teresa. "I'm pretty sure it would get worse if I become leader."

This earned a chuckle from Teresa until it died out all of a sudden and Teresa stopped in her tracks, her body frozen in place. Scott bumped into her because of this, causing confusion to flood his mind. The bump had caused Teresa's grip to loosen and let go of Scott's hand by accident. Scott felt confused but also rather worried. Why did Teresa stop all of a sudden? "What's wrong? Did something happen?" Scott asked, his voice full of concern and worry.

Teresa snapped out of it and turned back to Scott. She was quick to hold his hand again and squeezed it tightly to assure him that she was there. "I apologize, I just realized I forgot some things in my room," she said.

"Do you want to take them now?" Teresa shook her head. "I can get them later, don't worry, and it's best to get to the kitchen soon. We don't want your food to turn cold."

And with that, Teresa led Scott to the kitchen. Scott followed her, but he had a feeling there was more to the story than Teresa was telling him. And Scott was correct because unbeknownst to him, the conversation they just had given a crucial clue to Teresa behind the intentions of the person who had attacked the both of them not too long ago, and gave her an idea on who the next target could possibly be.

••••

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I apologize for the really, really late update. Exams and other things going on in life have been keeping me busy. I hope all of you like this chapter and i'll see you all again next time. :)