Mutation.

It is the key to our evolution. It has allowed us to evolve from a single-celled organism to the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, usually taking millions of years.

But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward...

/\/\/\/\

A red-headed teenage girl stood outside the gates to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, shifting nervously from foot to foot. 'Should I go in now? No, I should wait for a professor to come by….. Oh, I don't know!' she thought, sighing in frustration.

"Can I help you?" asked a voice behind her. The girl spun around to find a black woman with white hair looking at her curiously.

"No!.. I-I mean, yes, actually! This is the place that takes in runaway mutants, right?" the girl asked, cringing at her own stupidity. 'Idiot! She might not be a mutant!' she instantly rebuked herself.

"Yes, this is the place. I'm a teacher there. Ororo Munroe," said the woman, holding out a hand. The girl gaped at her for a moment in surprise before awkwardly shaking her hand. "I'm Annabelle," the girl said quickly as a relieved grin spread across her face.

/\/\/\/\

"The school is currently on 'summer break'," said Professor Ororo-who preferred 'Storm'- as she and Anna walked through the empty school grounds up to the mansion, "But term starts next week. You can stay here until then with the other kids with no homes."

They entered the mansion, walking past several rooms with kids of all ages playing video games, watching TV, reading, and a variety of other things. Anna glanced in at them quizzically as they passed.

They eventually stopped in front of a large oak door. Storm knocked three times. "Come in," called a voice inside. Storm opened the doors to reveal a bald man at a desk and two other adults sitting across from him.

"Excuse me, Professor Xavier," said Storm as the two other adults in the room stared at Anna in surprise, "But we have a new student." Storm stepped back, allowing the three to see Anna.

"Ah, yes, hello my dear! I knew there'd be new students coming. My name is Charles Xavier!" said Charles, rolling his wheelchair around his desk and stopping in front of Anna, offering a handshake.

Anna accepted the handshake before Xavier motioned to a chair and said, "I'm sorry, but we'll have to get right down to business. These are Professors Jean Grey and Scott Summers."

He motioned to the two other adults, who nodded as they were introduced as Anna sat in the chair. "I'm Annabelle Swanson. You can call me Anna," Anna said as Charles rolled back behind his desk.

"Ah, yes, Annabelle; always liked that name. Anyway, I'm sorry to intrude, but would you mind telling me your power so I don't have to rummage through your thoughts?" Charles asked as he and the rest of the teachers all turned to her.

Anna blinked in surprise before transforming her body from red-headed and green-eyed with medium length hair to blonde-haired and violet eyed with floor-length hair. "My friends back home called me Trickster because I changed my appearance so often," Anna said as Storm nodded her approval and Jean and Scott shared a surprised yet pleased look.

Anna transformed back to her original form as Charles said, "A wonderful ability, if I do say so myself! We've never had a shape-shifter here before!"

He beamed at her and said, "Jean, please show this young lady to the girl's dorm and tell the other students they have a new companion." Jean nodded and stood up. Anna stood as well and Jean led the way out of the room.

/\/\/\/\

"I can't tell you how many times I've wished I had a power like yours," sighed Jean as she led Anna to the girl's dorm. Anna shrugged and sighed, "It's nothing like walking through walls or flying. Besides, I only just developed it; I can't even do very many transformations yet."

"Don't underestimate your ability," said Jean sternly as they entered the dorm, "And don't say you'd rather not have it either, because then you wouldn't deserve it either."

Jean stopped and motioned to an empty, unused bed. "You can stay here. By the way, how long are you staying?" Jean asked. Anna glanced at her, setting her bag on the bed before answering, "Probably forever."

/\/\/\/\

Jean walked back through the hallways, pondering what Anna said. 'She must've ran away from home; probably mutant-hating parents,' Jean thought sadly as she re-entered Xavier's office.

"Oh, Jean, you just got a call; Congress is meeting to discuss the 'Mutant Registration Act' in two days," said Scott as she sat beside him. "Oh, brilliant," muttered Jean. 'Stupid bastards,' she thought.

/\/\Two days later: Congress meeting/\/\

"It is a proven fact that mutants who've revealed their powers and identities to the public have often been met with fear, hostility…. even violence," said Jean in front of the rest of Congress, giving voice to her opinions in front of live television.

"Well, why should mutants hide from us? I think we have a right to know what they're up to," said a voice. Jean stifled a sigh of annoyance as Senator Robert Kelly from Kansas stood up to face her.

"I never said they were hiding, Senator Kelly," she said as he walked in front of Congress as well.

"Aren't they? Well let me show you what's being hidden, Miss Grey," said Kelly, turning to look at the assembled Congressman and other spectators, "I have here in my hand a list of names of identified mutants right here in America."

"Let's see, there's a girl from Illinois who can walk through walls, a boy from Virginia that can fly, and- ooh! Here's a good one! A woman being held in custody by the CIA who hurt an innocent man! It doesn't even say her powers on the list!" Kelly said, turning from the list to look at Jean with a serious expression.

"We might not know her powers, but the man she attacked died in the hospital emergency room not fifteen hours ago. That, Miss Grey, is a serious problem. There wasn't a single physical injury on that man, but he screamed and ranted like he was burning alive. He eventually got a hold of on of the nurse's pens and stabbed himself in the neck," Kelly said, turning back to look at the horror-struck audience.

"Personally, I think the American people should be able to decide whether or not they want their children to go to school with mutants; to be taught by mutants!" Kelly said to a great round of applause; to the terror-stricken parents in the crowd, Robert Kelly was a savior.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is, mutants are very real. And they are among us. As such, we must know who they are, and-most importantly-what they can do!" Kelly said to a huge round of cheers.

Jean couldn't make herself heard anymore over the applause as the crowd cheered and shouted its approval of the Mutant Registration Act. Jean sought the only person in the crowd who's face was not filled with glee; Xavier looked at the humans in disappointment as Jean thought, "I'm sorry, Professor."

"It's alright," Xavier sighed back through their telepathic link, "Humans always were slow to see what was right in front of them."

/\/\/\/\

A/N: The newest fanfiction by yours truly takes you into the world of X-Men! How exciting! This is one of my favorite movies, so I decided it's high time I showed those human morons what mutants are capable of! Hope you enjoy, I'll post again soon!
-Wind