Feel free to review, I enjoy your opinions!

This is my first X - Men fanfiction, so forgive me for my knowlage ( or lack thereof ) of the X - Men universe. I'm still learning, but was always intrigued by Wolverine, so this story couldn't wait.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer - I don't own the 'original' X - Men. I do, however, own my own charectors. Please do not steal them, or my ideas and storylines; I might have to sue you. (:

Regan Reese didn't really care that she had all eyes on her. She knew that everyone was relying on her to win.

Shouts were floating all across the gym; people in the crowds crying our for their home team, coaches yelling at their players, players calling the ball, peers chanting to win, parents cheering on their daughters. Of course, Regan knew, without looking, that her parents weren't there. They never were - and she liked it that way.

"Mine!" A girl accross the net shouted. Fists clenched, arms flexed, the ball bounced around until it found it's way back over to Regan's side of the net.

"Call it!" She called out as she tensed her legs. She watched as Danielle vollyed it to Kam, Kam sent it to Brenna, and Brenna set it up. Regan was on the ball instantly, spiking it straight past the other team's dives, straight into the ground.

Stomp,stomp. "Go Chiefs!" The girls called out, celebrating another point. They had won the pathetic game, three to zero. The other team had known they'd had no chance, but the Lady Chiefs volleyball team still felt pride as they swam through the crowd into their locker room. After a proud, yet firm speech, Coach sent them on their ways.

Regan threw on her red and black jacket and warm - up pants over her black spandex, knee pads, sneakers, and jersey. Lucky number four, that was her.

"Reese! Good game, babe." Regan felt a light smack on the butt from her good friend, Kam.

"Thanks," Regan smiled at her friend. "Not too bad yourself, spiderman."

Kam laughed. "I owned that net!" She laughed as they walked around the gym, waving at familiar faces and friends. "Hey, you need a ride?"

"Nah, I think I'm going to walk." Regan shrugged her shoulders, nonchalantly. She knew it was past curfew, but she didn't really care. She only lived a couple miles out of town; it's not like she was going to get murdered on the way.

"If you insist!" Kam said, spotting her boyfriend. "I'll catch you at practice tomorrow, 'kay cutie?"

Regan answered, but Kam was already gone, swallowed by a mob of friends and family. She waved at people she knew as she walked away and out the doors into the cold, brisk wind.

It was late September in New York, and dark outside, already nine at night. Regan liked to walk - it made her feel comfortable walking alone and thinking to herself. She knew it was dangerous; she was only five - foot one, and a liitle over a hundred pounds. She knew even though she had lots of lean muscle, she was still a small girl. It wasn't exactly the best physique to fend off rapists and murderers. She didn't care though, because she knew she wouldn't get hurt.

"Hey, shortie. Good game!"

That cheekie voice instantly made Regan feel better, and she let a smile warm her frigid lips. Dakota had popped up next to her almost instantaneously, a trait he had learned to control over the years. He was a big boy - six - three with shortish red/brown hair and pale skin, with lots of muscle showing on his arms and legs. It would be intimidating, had he not had that sheepish smile and joking, playful attitude she had known in her best friend for the majority of her life.

"Hey goof!" She said, wrapping an arm around his waist, since that's all she could reach.

He laughed. "You're the goofball, chick. By the way, you know that blond girl, number nine? She's hot. You should really-,"

Dakota was interuppted by his cell phone vibrating violently in his pocket. He looked at the screen for a second then flipped open his phone. "Hey Wade. What's up?"

Dakota was silent and Regan listened intently as they walked along the sidewalk in the cold night air. Even though she couldn't hear, she still strained to make out what Wade was saying.

"Ok," Dakota said, nodding his head. "We're about a mile away from the apartment, but we'll be there in a sec. See you in a bit."

Dakota snapped his phone shut and looked at the small girl walking next to him. "Wade wants us there now. Ready?"

Regan nodded, tightening her arm around his waist and closing her eyes. She felt the small second where her body felt pinched together, and then was instantly replaced by the warmth and familiar scent of her home.

She opened her eyes and saw the place she had been living the past nine years. Home was a small apartment, cramped with a couple futons, a mattress, small TV and Xbox system set up, among other simple living set ups. The walls were a dull color, blankets and pillows spewed across the room, the light to the kitchen on, and the bathroom door closed. Regan and Dakota made their way to the kitchen.

Wade sat at the small, four - person table, looking at some letters. Wade was at average height, and was fairly lean. He was attractive, with his touseled brown hair and bright eyes, and his skin tone was the perfect shade of tan. But Regan didn't think of Wade as a love interest; more like the person who was the boss, but still close to his employees. That's really what they were; Wade the leader, and the other four were his group of misfits.

Wade barely glanced at the two before looking back at his papers. "I need to talk to you, Regan."

Dakota rolled his eyes and walked out, no doubt to find Cordell or Mandi to play Xbox with.

Regan hoisted herself onto the counter-top, her normal spot since the table only seated four, and there were five in the group. She always let the others sit at the table; she always had and she always would. It was just the way she liked it.

"Whats up?" She asked, opening one of her last protein bars.

"First, I got your profile done." Wade dug through a pile of folders on one Dakota's chair to the left of him. He finally pulled out one of the plain black folders, and how he knew it was hers and not one of the others, Regan had no idea. But he handed it to her and turned back to the letters on his table.

She had volunteered that he did hers last, since it was such an important task. The folder listed everything they knew about themselves, for their next project. She scrolled though the papers, reading it all.

Name: Regan Tiana Reese

Born: February 4th, 1996

Age: 15

Mother: -

Father: -

Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Current Hometown: Albany, New York

School: -

Extras: Plays out-of school volleyball program for the Lady Chiefs of Albany, New York.

Ect, ect, ect. Regan liked her profile; she liked her name, and her age, and her hometown.

"It looks good, Wade," she said, handing it back to him. It was obvious by the look on Wade's face that he wasn't impressed with his work; there were too many holes in the information. But when you're dealing with a group of homeless runaway mutants with no help, it's not exactly easy to accquire all the information he wanted.

"Second. I wanted to talk to you about school."

"Yeah?"

"I know you really want to go, but I just can't swing it, Ray. I can't drive you there, and pick you up, and we can't worry about homework and those things. We're busy enough as it is, and I can't make sure you're safe if you're gone eight hours a day. Not to mention that we're barely buying food with how we're doing financially."

Regan felt bad for Wade. He was only eighteen, but he sounded thirty the way he talked. He seemed so old and stressed, which he was.

"It's okay," she murmured, feeling guilty. "School's trivial anyway."

"I don't see why you want to go," another voice entered the conversation. It was Cordell, another member of the group. He was the last boy, and a scrawny one at that. He didn't have Dakota's muscle or charm, or Wade's attractiveness or leadership. Cordell was quiet, like Regan. He was scrawny and really tan, with honey-blond/brown hair and green eyes mirrored in glasses. He stood out from the boys in a way that made it noticable; he seemed innocent.

Regan thought the innocence factor had a lot to do with age. She and Cordell were both fifteen; they were the quiet, shy ones, who liked to be nice and stay out of trouble. Then there was Mandi, the rebel. She was sixteen and liked to show it. She was arrogant and rebellious, loud and she liked to act before thinking. She had been hit hard by being thrown out by her parents years ago when they discovered she could influence other's opinions. In an abnormal, inhuman way, of course.

Then there was Dakota. He had turned seventeen a week ago, on September third. And then Wade, who was eighteen. But, the only three who acted mature were Wade and the two youngest teens. Mandi and Dakota just liked to annoy the others.

"School is for normal people. I want to see what it's like," Regan said, kicking Cordell playfully as he sat the the table.

He grabbed her foot and studied her shoe. "We already know everything they would have taught us anyway. That's the advantage of having a high school graduate in the house," Cordell said, motioning to Wade, who didn't notice.

Regan shrugged. "Well, that's easy for you to say, boy genius. You know everything. Besides, I just want to see what it's like."

Before Cordell could answer, Wade's head snapped up. "Sh!" He commanded.

Cordell and Regan exchanged glances, but said nothing. Then they heard the noise, like something was being pushed on the floor. Before anyone could move, the door opened, and Dakota fell through, uncounsious and flat on his face. Behind him stepped a man, with a deadly looking knife and a glint in his eye.