How many kids are actually murderous? I mean, when they're not irradiated by your favorite poison into insanity. I talked with him, before all this. He was practically meek. It could have been an accident--involuntary manslaughter. Either way, I am not letting a scared kid go through this without someone trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

You ought to know. Don't tell me there couldn't have been an accident when you were fifteen ending in someone getting killed.

[Lois stops, then, and stares. Her voice is faintly sick when she does speak again.]

And you say he's... xenophobic? Against non-mutants?

[Superpowers she can deal with--she's even got a Thing. In the hands of a guy on the edge? Not so much.]