(The Xavier Institute’s Danger Room)
Rahne cheers for her Paragons Squad, as they have finished their Field Day mission with an excellent score, and a minimum in civilian casualties and time. She’s certain that Dani’s New Mutants squad won’t beat hers. Dani reports this to the New Mutants, and tells them to just do their best. The New Mutants enter the Danger Room, and find yet again a simulation of a rampaging Hulk!
The members panic and ask their leaders David and Sofia what to do. Sofia sends Laurie out to calm the attacked civilians down with her powers, and David orders Noriko to stay behind the Hulk and attack him with her electrical abilities. Jay helps evacuate the civilians, and Josh tends to the wounded. Sofia helps Laurie send her pheromones towards the Hulk with her winds, and it works. The Hulk reverts back to Bruce Banner, and calms down. The New Mutants have won once more.
Later, Rahne tries to cheer her squad up. They feel down about losing to the New Mutants. Nicholas doesn’t think it’s fair they won, but Rahne tells them they did great and wants the Paragons to understand that the New Mutants had Laurie, and her pheromone powers are gold in beating the Hulk. She also congratulates Hope with her astral projection, and Megan with a great job on distracting the Hulk.
Another member says that she knew the New Mutants would win, as she saw it in a vision. Jessie gets angry and asks the girl if that’s why she only watched from the sidelines. Rahne explains to the girl that the future isn’t always written in stone, and that it’s changeable. She tells her students that it’s not fair to help out the other members on your squad. They always have to help each other, even if they know they are going to lose. That’s how the X-Men work. Nonetheless, they all found it cool to have brought the Hulk down. Rahne agrees, and is very proud of the Paragons and is certain that, in the next Field Day mission, they’ll be back on top.
Outside in the halls, the New Mutants cheer for their victory. Noriko tries to thank David for the quick reaction, but he blows her off and walks away. Noriko tells the team it’s the third time this week he did that to her, and thinks that David’s mad at her. Josh kisses Laurie and congratulates his girlfriend for being the winning ticket. They walk away together, hand in hand, going for a celebration. Kevin notices that and enters Emma’s office, and says he’s got something to tell her.
(Salem Center, a few hours later)
Sofia thanks Jay for coming to dance with her. She admits she has missed it, and explains to him she did it all the time in her home in Venezuela. Jay says it’s nothing, as he always wanted to learn swing dancing. But he wants to know why Sofia asked him to come and not Julian. She blushes and tells Jay that he’s the only dance-type guy on the team, and she claims that Julian makes her angry. Jay notices that something is going on between Sofia and Julian. They arrive at the Hunter Dance Studio, and enter it.
(the Grind Stone)
David tells to Dani that he saw the Field Day mission in one of his dreams. Dani isn’t surprised as David is part telepath, and thinks he must have plucked parts of it from her mind. But she couldn’t warn David about the mission, since the exercise was about quick thinking. David doesn’t know how to tell Noriko what he saw in his dream about a possible future. Dani tries to make David understand that they were just his worst fears coming true. David wants to tell Noriko about it, but doesn’t know how. Dani apologizes, but doesn’t know how she can help David with that. Rahne approaches them, and apologizes for interrupting, but drops their coffees off. David says it’s nothing, as they are done talking. He’ll just hang around here for a while.
(Later, back at the Xavier Institute)
Rahne and Dani walk together. Rahne admits that she never understood how Dani, once a warrior, chose to teach some students, but now with her Paragons squad, Rahne finally understands. She’s finally happy. Dani is glad to hear that. When they want to enter the Institute, they are welcomed by an angry-looking Cyclops and Emma Frost, who want to have a word with Rahne. They go to Scott’s office, and Dani has to come as well since the conversation is about one of her students.
Once in the office, Scott and Emma tell Rahne how inappropriate they find it that one of their teachers has a relationship with one of their students. Dani doesn’t believe it, and defends her friend that Rahne and Josh are close because he brought her back to life with his powers. Rahne, however, admits the relationship, but explains that she ended it last semester. Dani is startled. Rahne explains that she was confused, and didn’t know what to do after her mother died and when she got her powers back. Dani gets angry and walks out of the office, wanting to go check on this with Josh. Rahne fears that she’s fired, but Scott and Emma don’t know what to do yet. They know that Rahne was confused after her mom died, and think it’s their fault for putting her on a student squad.
Meanwhile, an unsuspecting Josh is swimming in the pool, alone. Noriko walks up on him and asks if something is wrong with David. Josh explains about the head trip David had a while ago, but they are interrupted by Dani. Noriko leaves. A few minutes later, Dani has brought Josh up on things. He can’t believe that Kevin actually told everyone about the relationship. Dani is a bit disappointed that Josh didn’t told her about it, since she is more than just his advisor. But she isn’t mad at Josh, but is at Rahne.
Dani knows how smart and sweet Rahne is, and also how attractive. She also knows that Josh and Rahne shared a bond since Rahne returned to the Institute. Dani is aware that three years seem like nothing, but mentions that both she and Rahne have shared what seems like a lifetime in the New Mutants, and she has the experience Josh hasn’t, and therefore thinks that it was wrong.
Josh defends that it was all his mistake, as he pursued Rahne. Dani believes that Rahne should have said no, then. Dani asks the boy if he’s still got feelings for her friend. He doesn’t know, but maybe a little. But Josh says he’s happy with Laurie now, and admits that he didn’t like being dumped by Rahne, but believes that’s what he needed. He and Dani walk away together, and Dani is glad to see that Josh wasn’t seriously hurt by this.
(New York City)
Scott and Emma visit Dr. Sean Garrison at his office. They introduce one another, and mention how they both admire each other’s work. Emma and Scott inform the doctor about the events at the school, and how it was Kevin that told them about it. Scott asks Sean if he had told him about the situation with Josh. Sean tells them that he can’t discuss his session with Kevin, but can say that he told Kevin that if there was anything wrong, he should tell the headmasters about it.
That’s exactly the answer Scott and Emma wanted to hear. They are glad to see that Sean sees situations from the student’s point of view, and therefore have a proposal for him. Scott admits that, with a school filled with adventurers, they could use a man like Sean. He asks the mutants if they want him to be the school’s guidance counselor. Emma tells the doctor about Kevin, how he first was reluctant to come to the sessions, but now looks forward to them. Sean isn’t sure. He admits that he’s interested, but has patients of his own, and a television show and that his publisher expects a new book. But he wants to read some files on the students to get to know them better, but can’t promise anything yet. Scott and Emma thank Sean, and walk out.
(Xavier’s)
Noriko walks up on David, but he again fakes that he’s got to study and walks away. She tries to ask what’s wrong, but he ignores her. Julian sits behind them, and when he sees Josh he sarcastically congratulates her on the relationship he had with Rahne. Josh gets angry and tries to defend himself, but Laurie realizes what has happened. She starts to cry and runs away.
Outside, Rahne prepares to leave with her bike. Dani meets up with her. Rahne doesn’t want to wait for Scott and Emma to fire her, so she has made plans. She explains that she has helped Jamie with his detective agency in the city, and thinks about doing that fulltime. Rahne tries to apologize, but Dani only gets angry. She wants to know if Rahne and Josh made love. Rahne shouts no, since she has her faith and values. Dani doesn’t believe that and reminds Rahne that Josh is the closest thing Dani has to a son, and that Rahne kept it a secret from her, despite their telepathic bond. Rahne defends that she ended the relationship, but can see that the damage is apparently done. She feels like she has betrayed Dani, who is like a sister to her. Rahne puts her helmet on, and leaves.
Meanwhile, Josh finds Laurie, who sits alone in the forest. He tries to apologize, and mentions that the relationship he had with Rahne was over before they started. He tells Laurie that she’s the best thing that ever happened to him. Laurie doesn’t believe that, as Josh told her he heard Josh and Rahne breaking up. She knows that if Josh would have his way, he and Rahne would still be together. Josh tries to defend himself, but Laurie wants him to go away. Josh refuses to leave until they work things out, but Laurie concentrates her pheromone powers and makes Josh run!
Once out of the forest, David approaches Josh. He calls him a jerk, and can’t believe that he actually thought that Josh has changed when they became roommates. Josh tries to apologize, but David doesn’t want to hear it. He knows how much trouble it caused Laurie to open up like this and walks away, telling Josh to never talk to him again.
(The Collin’s home, Salem Center)
Laurie tells her mom about what happened. Gail tries to cheer her daughter up, but tells her that she shouldn’t have used her powers on Josh like that. It reminds her of Laurie’s father. This makes Laurie angry, and holds her mom responsible for her being so wary of people, and that’s why she let Josh treat her badly. She cries again, and runs out of the house, telling her mom that she won’t be her wallflower anymore. Gail doesn’t know what do to. She opens a drawer, and finds a picture of her and Laurie’s father.
(Later that night)
Sean Garrison holds the same picture in his hands, and one of Laurie lies next to it. He contacts Emma and tells that he can’t come this semester because he has too much work, but promises to join the Institute in the next school year. Sean hangs up the phone, and smiles. He has big plans.
