New Mutants #4

Danielle Moonstar is sent to recruit David Alleyne, a mutant with the power to acquire the knowledge of the people around him for as long as he remains close to them. He's a high school student who's been taking some advanced classes at the University of Chicago where Xi'an "Shan" Coy Manh (Karma) is working as a librarian.

Danielle and Xi'an used to be teammates as part of the New Mutants team so they are both happy to see each other again. Xi'an tries to help Danielle recruit David. At first he isn't too thrilled to meet with anyone who knows about his mutant nature; but then when he is attacked by a band of mutant haters, Danielle and Xi'an aid him. It is finally decided that David will be safer at Xavier's.

Synopsis

Eager student David Alleyne cooks eggs benedict for breakfast for his family. Strangely enough, his father doesn't recall ever teaching him the recipe and David doesn't really know where he learned the skill from, either.

Cut to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning where Danielle Moonstar and Professor Charles Xavier of the X-Men observe data compiled from Cerebra about a mutant near the Chicago area. Interestingly enough, this mutant has been seen interacting with a mutant very familiar to Danielle Moonstar--Xi'an "Shan" Coy Manh, also known as the mutant Karma!

Karma, who has been raising her younger twin brother and sister, Leong and Nga Coy Manh, is eager to get to her graduation at the University of Chicago. Leong asks if Aunt Kitty is going to attend, but Karma makes up an excuse to ease the young boy's worry (ed. see the series Mekanix for details).

The ceremony's guest speaker, Sean Garrison, a mutant sympathizer, hands Shan her diploma after an impassioned speech.

When Shan returns to her siblings, she finds her old teammate Danielle Moonstar waiting. The two share a warm embrace before going back to Shan's apartment.

Danielle asks about the empty chair at the graduation, if it was for a "friend friend or a girlfriend friend".

*Karma: "Let's just say she's a friend and there was a moment where it felt like she could be more."*

The kids ask Dani if she wants to play Monnaie Disponible, but Karma warns only they know the rules and they play it to con money out of people.

The two friends get down to business and discuss a possible mutant in the area. Shan instantly believes its David and the two plan to meet up with him when his summer class begins in the coming week.

The girls try to catch up on old times about their old friends, the New Mutants, and Dani reveals to Karma about the fate of their teammate Magma, who is still in a coma.

Back at the Institute, Xavier checks on the comatose mutant but is then interrupted by Kevin Ford, who now has clothing that should protect others from his mutant ability to decay organic matter through touch.

As Kevin walks through the halls, Sofia Mantega and Laurie Collins notice him. Laurie's eyes follow the boy, who she senses is probably lonely.

Back in Chicago at the library David frequents (and in which Shan works), Danielle and Shan debate about whether to bring David to the Institute after what happened to Magma. David continues to live a normal life without the troubles and burden that mutancy often brings. Danielle eavesdrops on one of David's classes and notices how he effortlessly knows the answers to many of the professor's questions. When Danielle confronts him and asks how his powers work, David storms off.

Back at home, David finds a flier on his front door that reads, "Mutant Wanted: Dead or Alive" with a picture of David in the center. David believes it was Dani's doing and when confronted by his father about the possibility of him being a mutant, David takes it hard.

*Mr. Alleyne: "It's true? my son is a...is a..."*

*David Alleyne: "A what, Dad? A freak? A deviant? The word you are looking for is mutant."*

David's younger sister Kim sympathizes with her brother and chases after him. The pair cross paths with Dani and Shan, whom David accuses of making the flier. Shan says she believes a group on campus called Purity was probably behind it when a group of men come up from behind them confirming her hypothesis. The group tell the women to stand aside so they can handle the mutant, but Danielle uses her powers of illusion to make the entire team of X-Men appear to scare them off. The trick fools all of them but one, who tells the others it must be a "mutant trick". Before they can come back to attack, Karma possesses one of them men, forcing him to fight his friends.

Another kid, a black belt, tries to fight David but due to the nature of his powers David gains those skills as well and quickly defeats him.

Later, David returns home and tells his dad that he will go to the Xavier Institute. He and his parents discuss it and they realize it would probably be the safest route for him to enroll there. The family say their goodbyes and David packs his belongings into Karma's car and they head to the Xavier Institute.

*Leong Manh: "So David...you know how to play Monnaie Disponible?"*

*David Alleyne: "Sure. I know the rules."*

*Leong Manh: "Maybe we don't need to play..."

END.