A/N- Lame title is lame, and subject to change. It literally means nothing right now, and is only there to be a title. I am ashamed of myself.
So, I'm kind of new to the X-Men Evolution fandom, and this is the first fic I've written for it. As I'm not too familiar with X-Men comic canon, I will be steering clear from it, so not as to shamefully bash it.
"I can't believe this!"
The voice of Katherine Pryde, known to her friends as 'Kitty', rang out through the crowded school hallway.
It was the first day of school, and she stood before the school bulletin, glaring daggers of death. Had the paper before her been alive, she was certain it no longer would have been. Instead it would have been torn into tiny shreds by said daggers.
"Calm down Kitty, you don't want to make a scene," Kurt Wagner, in his human guise, spoke at her shoulder.
"Maybe I do want to make a scene!" Kitty shot back, her voice as hard and angry as her eyes. "It's not fair for them to not let me try out for track this year just because I have powers!
"Like what do they expect me to do? Phase through the hurdles?" Kitty's voice was rising louder and louder. "I think someone would notice that and disqualify me!"
"Miss Pryde!" A sharp voice cut her tirade short. Kitty turned to see a stern faced Principle Kelly scowling at her. "If you have a problem with school policy, bring it up with me or the board. Do not disrupt other students as they try to go about their day."
As you mutants always do. He didn't say it out loud but the words hung in the air.
"I do have-" Kitty began, her face flushed, but she felt Kurt's hand on her shoulder dragging her back.
"Leave it Kitty, it's not worth it," Kurt said, his eyes pleading.
"But it is worth it," Kitty hissed in return, but she allowed herself to be pulled away from the board by Kurt and drawn into the stream of hallway traffic. She could still feel Principle Kelly's eyes on her as they retreated down the hall.
"This isn't over," she muttered under breath.
Kurt's keen ears picked up on her mutterings easily. "Of course it isn't Kitty, but maybe you should wait until later. You're too riled up to make a good case for yourself at the moment."
"You're right Kurt," Kitty sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It's just, I was hoping after we saved everyone from Apocalypse things would be better. That people would start accepting us."
"I wished the same, Kitty," Kurt replied. "But I fear things are only going get worse before they start getting better."
"Back off," Rogue snarled to the bright eyed freshman who'd wandered too close.
"Whoa," the boy breathed in awe. It wasn't just the 'Whoa you're a senior awe' either. No, it was the 'Whoa you're a mutant awe'. "You're one of them. You're a mutant!"
Rogue rolled her eyes sourly. It was always the 'Whoa you're a mutant awe', tinged as usual with a bit of fear. She could see it in his eyes, opened just a little too wide.
"What's it to you?" Rogue glared, and shouldered past him, hoping to put as much distance between him and herself as possible.
"So which are you?" Today was clearly not her day. The freshman doggedly followed her, slipping in and out of other groups of school goers in an effort to keep up with her rapid pace. "Are you part of the X-Men? Or the Brotherhood? Or maybe even that other group? The Acolytes?"
"Ah'm gonna be late fot first period," she said pointedly. Turning forward again, she marched on determinedly, tuning out any of his prattle as he continued to follow after her.
She was finally saved by the ringing of the late bell, instructing student that they had to be in class and in their seats in sixty seconds.
She slid into her senior English class to the familiar mixture of reactions. Most of her classmates ignored her, some rather pointedly, while others regarded her with outright hostility.
For a moment she wished Risty's smiling, never judging, always accepting face was there to greet her.
She quickly buried that thought deep down. Deep, deep down. So deep that you could use a backhoe to try and dig it up and still not find it.
She'd never admit to anyone how much that betrayal still hurt her.
Hunching her shoulders up to her ears against the glares of her classmates, Rogue entered the classroom. She slumped into a seat near the back of the class, next to the window. A perfect place to blend in. Resting her chin in her hand, Rogue prepared herself to pass the class as quietly and as invisibly as one could when everyone hated you.
Of course, the world really was not allowing things to go her way today.
Boing. Boing. The distinctive sounds of what could only be the approach of one particular individual.
One of the few people who could garner more glares than herself literally sprang into the room. Todd Tolensky.
"Not mah day," Rogue grumbled to herself, rubbing a hand across her face.
What was Toad even doing here? Last she had heard the Brotherhood was suspended from school. Then again, that was last year, so maybe the suspension had since been revoked. Either way, here he was, and of course he was in her class. And coming to sit right behind her…
"'Sup Rogue?" Toad asked, leaning back in his chair and propping his legs up on the desk in front of him.
Rogue shuddered inwardly. He looked (and smelled) like he hadn't showered in a year. His disheveled hair was dark with grease, his wide, toad-like fingers were caked in grime, and the smell coming off his feet could probably be harnessed as a biological weapon. His eyes wandered off to the side, spotting a fly that was perched a top the window, just out of his reach.
"Get lost, creep," Rogue said, turning to lock her eyes on the blackboard at the front of the room. At least he was behind her where she could avoid looking at him, even if she could still smell him.
"Aw, c'mon Rogue, we mutants gots to stick together, what with everyone else hatin' on our guts," Toad continued lazily, his eyes still trailing to the fly on the window.
"Ah, don't gots to do anything," Rogue replied tartly, eyes still forward.
"Even after we saved your X-Geeks butts against Apocalypse?"
Rogue snorted. "Ah, wouldn't call showing up late and barely doing anything ,saving us. Besides, from what I've heard you haven't continued on your path of new found righteousness."
"Now Rogue, we might still steal a little here, vandalize a building there, but you see, we gots to make a livin'."
Thankfully the English teacher arrived at just that moment, and Rogue didn't need to respond.
Sighing, Rogue settled her chin on her hand once more. She supposed she should pull out her notebook, in case she had to take notes. It was the first day though, she reasoned with herself, and positioned her elbow more comfortably on the desk. If things went well, judging by the droning voice of the English teacher, she thought she might just be able to catch a few Z's this period.
Boing. Splat. Behind her Toad landed back on his chair, tongue slurping into his mouth. He smacked his lips loudly on his revolting fly snack.
Then again, today really wasn't her day.
Kurt made his way into the cafeteria, doing his best to skirt around a group of jocks who were loitering near the doorway. The largest of the group quipped something to his friends as he passed, and Kurt entered the cafeteria in the wake of their laughter.
He didn't precisely know that the joke was about him, but he'd bet his furry hide that is was. Kurt hurriedly grabbed his food and looked for a place to sit.
"Kurt!"
Kurt's ears and mood perked up instantly. His mouth stretched into a grin that would have shown fangs if it weren't for his image inducer.
Amanda was sitting on her own at one of the cafeteria tables, excitedly waving him over.
"How's your day been?" Amanda asked as Kurt placed his lunch tray down beside her, and slid into his seat.
"Good, except the new PE teacher seems to think she's a drill sergeant. She had us run laps all class and kept referring to us as 'maggots'," Kurt replied, poking cautiously at the mystery meat they had been served that day. He wasn't so sure he had made the right choice in meals "Luckily she has nothing on Mr. Logan, otherwise there'd probably be a blue, fuzzy heap lying on the track outside right now."
"I'll keep that in mind," Amanda giggled, causing Kurt's thoughts to wander back to the jocks by the door. Amanda laughing at him was okay, in fact it was something he strived to achieve. "I have PE last period."
"It's really too bad we don't have any classes together this semester," Kurt said wistfully. "Especially since we can hardly see each other outside of school anymore. By any chance, have your parents warmed up to the idea of me being a mutant yet?" Kurt asked, hope creeping into his voice and face.
Amanda's scowl was enough for him to know the answer. "I've told you, it's not that you're a mutant it's that-"
"With me being a mutant brings along the evil mutants," Kurt finished for her, his brows furrowing slightly as he continued to regard the meal before him.
"They'll warm up to things eventually," Amanda replied with confidence, resting her hand on Kurt's arm.
Kurt felt a slight longing for his blue fur which would have hidden the blush that was forming on his cheeks. "I know Amanda, it's just that I miss you," he said, smiling down at her sincerely, feeling his blush deepen when she smiled in return. "It seems that lunch is the only time we'll get to see each other."
"Well, then we better make the best of it, rather than worry about things we can't fix at the moment, shouldn't we you big, blue fuzzball?"Amanda said, letting her hand slide down his arm, to rest on his hand.
"You're right," Kurt nodded. "As usual."
Amanda held his gaze for a moment longer, then dropped her eyes to look at the food Kurt was prodding with his fork. "You're not actually going to eat that garbage are you? It'll probably make you sick."
"Once again, I think you're right," Kurt said, pushing the offensive plate of food away from him, causing Amanda to giggle once more.
It was nice to have some time alone with Amanda, but it wasn't to last. Not sixty seconds later Kitty was making her way through the cafeteria to them, with Rogue trailing in her wake.
Kurt was hoping that a morning of classes would have calmed Kitty down, but if anything she looked even more worked up than earlier. She slammed her tray down onto the table across from him, and went to slam herself into the chair as well. She really must have been fuming inside for rather than land in the chair, her eyes popped open wide as she slipped right through it. She landed on the floor with a resounding thud.
Amid the snickers of other students in the cafeteria, Kitty stood back up, and properly took her seat. Her eyes dared anyone to call her out for her momentary loss of control of her powers.
"I went to talk to Principle Kelly on my off period," Kitty replied after Kurt was brave enough to inquire about her sour mood. "He wouldn't even listen to me. Told me it was unfair for 'normal' people to have to compete against us, but apparently it's fair to just say that we're not allowed to join at all."
"It's not like we didn't know this was gonna happen," Rogue reasoned with her. "Look how they treated Jean when they took away all her awards."
"But I even explained to him how my power wouldn't affect how fast I ran or anything. I can just walk through things," Kitty went on, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Then he went on about how I might have secret powers that I'm not telling anyone about, like super speed." Continuing to rumble in frustration, Kitty let her chin collapse on her arms, glaring at the world.
"Speaking of super speed," Rogue said, finding a way to steer the conversation away from Kitty's ravings. "There was an amphibian in my English class this morning."
"Amphibian?" Kurt felt something unpleasant settle in his stomach. Now he was really glad Amanda had talked him out of trying the mystery meat. "You don't mean Toad, do you?"
"The one and only," Rogue replied, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "I thought we'd seen the last of the Brotherhood in school, but I guess not."
"I hope they don't start causing more trouble," Amanda weighed in.
"Can we not talk about the Brotherhood?" Kitty raised herself up so that her elbows were propped up on the table, and her chin was cupped between her hands.
"You and Lance still not talking?" Kurt guessed.
"I repeat, can we not talk about the Brotherhood?" Kitty said, cocking her head angrily, causing her ponytail to flop back and forth.
"Whatever you say Kitty," Kurt said, palms up and out in defense. He wasn't overly interested in finding himself waist deep in cafeteria flooring.
The subject was effectively dropped, and though everyone settled into easy conversation, Kurt noticed as Kitty started to eat she stabbed her salad with her fork more violently than was necessary.
When the bell rang, Kurt carried his still full tray, along with Amanda's, over to the cleanup station.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," Amanda said a little sadly as they made their way out the door. Just before turning to go their separate ways down the hall she pecked him on the cheek, ruffling his fur slightly.
"Careful there Amanda, what he has might be contagious." It was the same jock who had cracked a joke when Kurt had entered the cafeteria earlier. He and his group of friends were still crowded near the doorway, leering at them as they walked by.
Amanda's eyes narrowed at the slight to her boyfriend, but it was Rogue who came to his defense.
"Our powers are genetic, you moron," Rogue said, walking up with her purple framed eyes narrowed. "Just like your lack of brain cells."
"What are you saying to me, freak?" The broad shoulder jock stepped forward, shadowed by his equally big friends.
"Your lack of understanding just proves mah point," Rogue didn't back down, not intimidated in the slightest. This guy thought he was tough but he was nothing more than a kitten when compared to Sabretooth, not to mention the other villains they had faced. "Come on Kurt, we've got algebra together." She said, walking forward.
"You know you don't belong here, don't you? You never will!"
The jock's words were echoed in the dark looks sent to them from all sides as they walked down the hallway to algebra. Kurt wished the staring would stop, but as he had told Kitty earlier, he suspected things weren't nearly as bad as they were going to get.
A/N- There we go folks, chapter one is done. I'm a super big fan of constructive criticism, so if you have any please leave a review. I'm new to writing these characters, so any feedback on how I'm doing so far would be much appreciated!