Well, Magneto, Kitty and I, as well as the little green boy, Leech - the one who's ability to dampen others' mutant powers almost killed us all - arrived back at the mansion in Westchester today after freeing Eric from federal prison. To my surprise, the school was deserted, save for Emma Frost who was sulking in her room. I wasn't able to determine this with my telepathic powers as I normally would, of course, because Leech was still in the vicinity. I had to use the school's extensive security system.

I knew that Gaia had taken most of the team on a perilous mission to the Astral Plane to confront the source of Storm's recent hostile behavior. I didn't realize they would still be gone, though. If only that blasted mutie - excuse me - homo superior child, Leech, wasn't still around, I could use my powers to make contact with Gaia or Jean and find out what is going on. Perhaps she has been able to get an update to her blog. I'll have to check.

I was also rather surprised to see that Rogue and Exodus had gone. After all, they were the ones who insisted I free Magneto. I just naturally assumed that they would be awaiting his return. I went up to Emma's room to try and get some more information.

"Hello Emma," I said once she had opened the door. "I thought you were going to accompany Gaia on her mission."

"Oh please, Charles," she answered in a rather condescending tone. "They have more than enough heavy hitters. Talk about overkill. It would just have been a waste of my time."

"Well, I can see that you have far more important things to do than defend your fellow mutants. For instance, that's the latest of issue of Cosmopolitan, right?"

That ticked Emma off. She tossed the magazine she had been reading off her bed. "Gaia may be thousands of years old but she has spent most of her life isolated in some other-dimensional vortex. She has the social development of a child and I for one have no interest in teaching her."

"Really? Rather strange that you would chose to be a teacher here at my school then," I said to her.

"Oh whatever," she answered turning away from me. "And incidentally, I would appreciate the removal of that Leech thing. Without my powers I feel . . powerless."

"Leech is a fellow mutant and it is our chosen task to protect him, as with all of our kind. It is our duty . ."

"Spare me that crap! I "heard" your whole conversation about the "pest." Remember, his power only cancels those who are actually within his sphere of influence."

"Regardless, he's staying for the time-being. Now tell me, where did Rogue go?" I asked.

"She and her sanctimonious purple freak of a friend went back to Avalon."

"But why didn't they wait for their leader?"

"I don't know. I was so glad to see them go that I didn't bother to ask."

"You really aren't being much help, you know," I pointed out.

Emma then wheeled me out of her room and slammed the door shut behind me. Heading down to the kitchen, I found Magneto deep into a pint of Double Mocha Fudge Haagen-daz ice cream. Kitty had the Vanilla Fudge Almond and Leech was scratching the surface of a Mint Chip.

"It looks like your friends didn't wait for you, Eric," I informed him.

"That's alright, Charles," he replied, "I'm not in a hurry."

"But . . the whole reason they had me rescue you was that things are falling apart in Avalon!"

"I'm sure it's not as bad as all that," Magneto said. "Besides, it looks like you might need some help with the X-Men."

"I'm sure they'll be just fine," I answered.

"And if they're not? If they need some help, don't you want some allies to go to the Astral Plane with you?"

"I'm sure it won't come to that," I said. "Gaia and the others are very capable."

"And if you're wrong?"

"Well . . if I receive some kind of message from Gaia or one of the others that they need backup, fine. But I won't be needing your help Magneto."

"Oh, that's right, you have Shadowcat." There was deep smirking tone in his voice. He turned to Kitty and winked at her. She gave him a little giggle in response. Hopefully, Gaia and the others will be back soon.