Teresa Rosalie looked out of her bedroom window, observing the lively scene outside. There were many children playing outside that evening, their laughter and shouts carried by the gentle breeze. The weather was pleasant, Teresa noted, neither too hot to provoke complaints from students nor too cold to warrant teachers ushering everyone indoors to prevent sickness.

Among the children, Teresa recognized Sofia, a fellow orphan from her previous orphanage and a young mutant. Sofia's clumsy wave and toothy smile exuded pure joy and innocence. Teresa responded with a graceful wave of her own. She didn't interact with many people, but Sofia was a dear friend and held a special place in her heart. Sofia reminded Teresa of innocence and sweetness. Unaware of the dangers lurking outside the school's protective walls, Sofia had only heard tales of them but never experienced firsthand. Teresa was determined to shield her from any hardships. She didn't want Sofia's childhood marred by worry and stress, especially concerning her identity as a mutant, something beyond her control.

Sofia signalled to her friends to continue playing without her, assuring them she would join them later, before focusing her attention back on Teresa. With a concentrated look, Sofia extended her hand, coaxing a little seed to sprout and slowly grow into a vibrant sunflower. Her eyes sparkled with delight, her lips forming a radiant smile. A sudden gust of wind swept the sunflower toward Teresa, who caught it gently by the stem as it approached her.

"Thank you, Sofia," Teresa said gratefully, bringing the sunflower to her nose and inhaling its fresh scent. "You're learning to control your powers very quickly. Have you been taking extra lessons with Hank?"

Sofia nodded shyly, her smile unwavering despite the distance between them— Teresa's bedroom being several floors above ground level. "You got out of your comfort zone too," Teresa added, pride evident in her voice. "I'm glad you followed Miss Jane's advice."

Sofia repeated solemnly, "Always ask for help when you need it the most and give help when someone needs it the most," her eyes reflecting the wisdom of those words. She began to fiddle nervously with her fingers, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I miss her a lot," she admitted softly, her voice tinged with sadness.

"Me too, Sofia," Teresa replied gently, her voice equally soft. "But Miss Jane brought us here because she wanted us to have a good education and a better understanding of our powers."

"But there's fighting here?" Sofia stated rather than asked, her eyes wide with the confusion of a child trying to grasp the complexities of their world, her voice a little hesitant and unsure.

"The mutants here fight to maintain peace, to ensure our survival. If they don't stand up to threats, all of us could be in danger," Teresa explained, trying to simplify the harsh reality for Sofia.

"But aren't half of the mutant population being hunted down by humans anyway? I heard every mutant has to hide after discovering their powers, or they'll be killed," Sofia inquired, her words stark against the weight of her question.

Teresa sighed softly, marvelling at Sofia's sharpness for her age, though aware it might make her a bit too curious. Reaching for a glass from her desk, she placed it carefully on her palm. In an instant, both of Teresa's hands were encased in a blazing blue flame. Sofia watched from below with wide-eyed fascination, trying to understand the demonstration.

"Imagine the blue fire inside the glass represents us and the other mutants here at the school," Teresa began, her voice calm and steady. "Now, think of the blue fire blazing freely in my hand as the hunted mutants, and the wind as the hunters."

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through, extinguishing the flames in Teresa's right hand. However, the blue fire in Teresa's left hand, protected within the glass, remained safe, its glow undiminished.

"The glass protecting the blue fire represents the mutants fighting for peace and the humans who support them," Teresa explained. "These mutants work tirelessly to prevent our extinction and ensure our safety. However, there are also mutants who seek revenge for how most humans treat us, while others desire power and dominance over humans because they believe mutants are superior with our rare gifts."

Sofia nodded slowly, her eyes reflecting the weight of Teresa's words as the blue fire in her palm gradually faded away. "So, what did you take from my explanation?" Teresa asked, shifting her attention briefly to place the glass back on the table.

The younger mutant grinned broadly. "Some things, like how cool it is that you can summon blue fire on your palm! And maybe we could make s'mores together at the next bonfire!" Her enthusiasm was palpable, and Teresa couldn't help but smile at Sofia's innocence and optimism.

She was unsure whether to be amused or concerned by Sofia's response. Despite knowing Sofia was referring to the mutants at the school, including the X-Men, Teresa decided not to delve into that complex topic just yet. She knew Sofia would discover more about it eventually, whether from her or someone else.

Sofia darted back to her small group of friends, who Teresa now noticed were observing her with interest. They quickly averted their gaze and started discussing upcoming assignments, apparently oblivious to the deeper implications of Teresa's demonstration.

Unbeknownst to Teresa, a certain wavy blonde-haired mutant had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Sofia. From his vantage point, he seemed impressed by Teresa's display of power and her interaction with Sofia.

"Didn't know you liked kids, Rosalie," Warren remarked with a smirk from the tree where he was perched.

Teresa shot him an annoyed glance. "Didn't anyone teach you that eavesdropping is rude, Warren?"

He chuckled as he gracefully descended from the tree, his large angel-like wings adjusting to keep him balanced. Dressed in a black leather jacket, Warren gave off a rebellious vibe, which he was known for, especially since he had been on Erik's side back then against their fight with Apocalypse. Most people became afraid of him or tried to avoid him at all costs. His wavy blonde hair was as tousled as ever, suggesting he didn't bother with combing it much, if at all.

Raising his hands in mock surrender, Warren replied, "There's a difference between eavesdropping and secretly watching. Besides, you looked a little lonely up there."

"There's a difference between being lonely and alone," Teresa retorted coolly, a glint of challenge in her eyes. "And I'm not the one who looked like they were about to fall off that tree."

Warren grinned mischievously. "I'm not that clumsy, but you do look busy. Planning another one of your mysterious experiments?"

"Not everything I do is an experiment, Warren," Teresa countered with a hint of amusement in her voice. Warren had a knack for stirring up mischief wherever he went, and Teresa had learned to expect the unexpected around him.

"Well, whatever it is, count me in if you need a partner in crime," Warren said with a wink, spreading his wings slightly as if ready to take flight.

Teresa rolled her eyes playfully. "I'll keep that in mind. Now, if you don't mind, I have things to do."

Before Warren could reply, one of Sofia's friends shrieked, "Look, it's Angel!" The excited exclamation drew the attention of the entire group of children, who promptly dashed over to where Warren stood.

"I wanna touch his wings!"

"His wings look so fluffy!"

"Ooh, maybe we can ask him to fly!"

"I wanna fly on him!"

Teresa chuckled softly as Warren tried to gently pry a little girl's hands away from touching one of his wings. Most students were cautious around Warren's presence, but to the children at the school, his angelic wings were fascinating and delightful. They often fought to touch them whenever they had the chance.

Warren shot Teresa a pleading look, silently asking for assistance. However, Teresa merely shook her head, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Warren's wings, Warren's problem," she remarked, watching the scene unfold with fond amusement.

Warren sighed dramatically as the group of children around him continued to grow, drawn by the excitement and chatter. Despite outward appearances of annoyance, Teresa knew he secretly adored their admiration and curiosity.

She took one last amused glance at the hilarious sight outside before closing her bedroom window and drawing the curtains, ready to focus on her history assignment. Just as she was about to begin writing, a soft knock interrupted her concentration.

"Teresa, may I come in?" a familiar voice asked politely.

She sighed, recognizing the voice immediately— Jean Grey. Jean was known for her striking orange-red hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to shimmer with happiness. Despite being one of the school's most beloved students and one of its most powerful mutants, Teresa knew Jean had a solitary past. According to Scott, she had been isolated, finding solace mainly in books and with teachers, all because of her formidable telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Students had feared her powers before she showed her courage by defeating Apocalypse and helping to rebuild the school alongside Erik Lehnsherr. It was incidents like these that reminded Teresa why she kept her own powers hidden. She didn't want to be treated differently because of them, so she chose not to reveal them unless absolutely necessary.

Having powers was something beyond anyone's control; it was a circumstance of birth, a genetic lottery that dictated whether one would be human or mutant. The ability to strip another mutant of their powers remained a fantasy and a hope to most, since there was no one on record who ever had the ability to do so. As Teresa pondered these thoughts, the door suddenly swung open of its own accord, jolting her from her reflections. Relief washed over her when she realised the door hadn't been damaged.

Teresa sighed, her eyebrow arching as she noticed Jean standing in the doorway, her expression a mix of curiosity and mild annoyance. She didn't hate Jean— she didn't think she even could —but sometimes Jean's habit of delving into others' minds without permission could be irksome. Still, Teresa understood it was part of Jean's struggle with her powers, something not entirely under her control. Yet, Teresa had managed to block Jean's attempts to read her thoughts, a fact that both surprised and intrigued Jean and Charles Xavier, the headmaster of the school.

"Yes?" Teresa replied evenly, crossing her arms as she regarded Jean.

Jean cleared her throat, her tone slightly hesitant. "Do you know where Scott is?" she asked, a note of hope in her voice.

Teresa shook her head slowly. "No, I haven't seen him today," she answered honestly, her curiosity piqued by Jean's inquiry about Scott.

Jean's brow furrowed slightly. "Okay," she said, then hesitated before asking, "And Peter? Have you seen him around?"

Teresa thought for a moment. "I saw him earlier in the library," she recalled, wondering what Jean needed with Peter.

Jean nodded, a hint of relief evident in her demeanour. "Thanks, Teresa," she said softly, turning to leave.

Teresa watched as Jean left, feeling curious to know what she wanted to do with the two of them. Deciding to set her questions aside for later, Teresa shrugged off the thought and turned her attention to the book borrowed from Scott.

•••••

After finishing the book, Teresa mused over Scott's good taste in literature. The story had defied Teresa's expectations of it being cliché and instead kept her engrossed throughout. As she nibbled on her leftover burger, her thoughts turned to Sofia, wondering what her friend might be up to at that moment.

It had been a few hours since she last saw Sofia. Back in the days they were still living in the orphanage, Teresa often helped Sofia get ready for bed and stayed with her to comfort her during nightmares.

Suddenly, someone materialised in front of Teresa. Reacting swiftly, she grabbed a heavy book nearby and hurled it at the intruder.

"Ouch!" The person exclaimed, clutching his head in pain.

Teresa was ready to launch another book when the intruder raised his hands in surrender.

"Stop! Please, we come in peace," he pleaded, rubbing his head with his blue tail.

As Teresa cautiously approached, she recognized the intruder as Kurt Wagner. His ability to teleport to any place he has seen or been to was well-known, and his distinctive blue skin and tail marked him as a mutant, much like Mystique and Hank.

Teresa relaxed slightly, lowering her defensive stance. "What are you doing here?" she asked, still wary but curious about his unexpected visit.

Teresa studied Kurt closely before noticing he was carrying a trophy. Strange. She raised an eyebrow and focused on the shiny object, wondering about its significance.

Seeing her curiosity, Kurt gestured to the person beside him— Scott Summers. Scott's usually neat dark brown hair was tousled, though not as messy as Warren's. Scott, who could release powerful laser beams from his eyes but had to wear a visor to control them, looked unusually dishevelled. Teresa immediately noticed the bruises on Scott's face.

"What happened to him?" She asked.

Kurt shifted uncomfortably, his gaze dropping to the floor. "He joined a contest," he replied nervously.

Teresa's eyebrow arched higher, her suspicion growing. "What kind of contest?"

Kurt hesitated, glancing at Scott for support. Scott, despite his injuries, managed a weak smile. "It was a sparring contest," he admitted, his voice slightly strained. "I might have underestimated my opponent."

"Why did you join a sparring contest in the first place?" Teresa asked, incredulous.

Kurt, still rubbing his head, explained, "He wasn't interested in it at first until he saw the prize for the winner. I told him it wasn't a good idea but he still joined..."

Teresa's surprise was evident. "He only joined for a trophy?"

Kurt shook his head and smiled. "Not just a trophy. He won money from it too."

"I'm going to eat my dinner now. Goodbye!" With that, Kurt quickly vanished, not wanting to be in the conversation anymore and leaving Teresa alone with a bruised Scott.

Scott took an ice pack and placed it on his bruised face before lying down on his bed, sighing deeply. Teresa watched him, unsure of how to help her injured roommate.