A/N:

Ok so I just want to clarify, in this Alu and Hank are neighbors, they both know of each other's mutations, their best friends and there 11 ok now on with the story its my first x-men one so any positive feedback is much appreciated :D

It was early too early for anyone else to be up in the house, so Alu sneaked out side and over her fence making her way to the dried up river where she knew her friend Hank was, she saw him leaving his house rather fast about 10 minutes ago, she had been watching the sunset as usual, so she had got dressed and went to find him.

She found him huddled next to a tree shaking with tears and she felt sick to her stomach as the bottom of his trousers where caked in mud and blood as where his bare feet.

"Hank?"

"AL! I didn't see you there"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm ok"

"Liar"

"There ashamed of me Al, my own parents are ashamed of me"

"I'm sure that's not true"

"It is! I heard them, I couldn't take it anymore, so I came here, to our tree"

"Hank, your parents love you, you know that"

"I wish they were like yours"

"Well that might help if I actually HAD parents wouldn't it?"

Alu by now had came and sat on the floor beside her friend with her arm around him

"Jan and Mat are your parents Alu"

"Adoptive"

"They still love you"

"It's not the same though is it? I was taken from my parents, people who loved me and cared for me stuck in a lab and tested on and then taken out and put here, all I know is his name was Xavier, the person who got me out of there"

"Well you're out now, and I won't let anyone put you back in there"

"Thanks monkey boy"

"Oh like that is it?"

Hank leaned to his side tickling Alu under her ribs where she was most ticklish

"Ok ok enough, come on we start the new secondary today, better get ready"

Alu gasped as she got up

"Al promise me something?"

"Anything"

"We'll still be friends?"

"Always"

"Forever?"

"Forever"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

And with that both kids ran back to their houses and said quick goodbyes before meeting up outside their houses again half an hour later to start their journey in secondary school.

6 YEARS LATER:

"Freak!"

A group of boys stood around a 17 year old Hank taunting him on the size of his feet, Alu sat on the wall behind them taking it all in, well she wasn't going to let a load of jocks mess with her best friend, so standing up she made sure Hank caught her eye before becoming completely invisible and following the boys, including Hank, into the locker room where they had gym.

Thankfully it was a hot day so everyone but Hank was already in shorts and t-shirts so went straight through, planning on showers and getting changed after, once the room was empty she made herself visible infrount of Hank.

"It's best if I don't ask right?"

"Yep"

"Your gunna get hurt"

"What's the worst that could happen? I'm fire proof, I can hold my breath for hours, I can be invisible, shape shift and read minds, and unless they have guns I'm ready for anything"

"What have guns got to do with anything?"

"Well I always wondered if I was bullet proof"

Alu couldn't help but laugh at the look of sudden fear on Hanks face

"I'm kidding, relax, and wish me luck"

Alu smiled at him as she faded away slowly and made her way into the gym

"Shes going to be the death of me she is"

Hank thought shaking his head as he heard his friends footsteps go into the gym

"I heard that, mind reader and all"

"Good! Now where about are you?"

"I'm here don't worry, I'm next to the benches"

"You are staying? Or do you have a lesson"

"No lesson, Mr. Crepsly is off sick and no sub so I'm free for the rest of the day, so yeah ill stay"

"I'm free after this, fancy going somewhere? Or do you have cheerleading training?"

"Nah I'm free, buy me a dohnut and you have a deal"

"You're on"

"Right, time for the fun to begin"

"Meaning?"

But Alu had gone quite, however seconds later josh Mays fell flat on his face, and four other boys started running in circles the other boys started backing away before also falling over, one claiming to have seen a girl.

Hank couldn't hold in the laughter, he knew Alu was protective of him but he had no idea shed go this far to defend him, if her mind slipped just slightly she would become visible and mutants weren't accepted in this school, but then again, hed go to any length to defend her, she was after all his best friend, and though people found it strange that a cheerleader who was popular, and well liked would willingly choose to be friends with a nerdy freak like himself he liked it, he knew cheerleading was something she enjoyed and science and inventing was something he enjoyed and they both supported each other.

"Hey daydreamer!"

"Sorry what?"

"I said, I think your class is over early"

"Oh ok, wait for me outside"

"Okiedays"

So Alu skipped outside before sitting back on the wall and becoming visible, and there she sat waiting in her top from top man with a random London logo on it and a blue and gray skirt stopping at her knees, as well as a pair of colorful Nike trainers that belonged to Hank a few years ago which she had nagged him for once her grew out of them, and her long amber hair over one shoulder.

She saw Hank before he saw her, dressed in his usual shirt and sleeveless jumper as well as brown pants and simple black shoes, however as soon as she starter to stand up the boys from the gym came out and crowded round Hank once more, deciding she had had enough she walked over and pushed one of the boys aside and stood beside her friends with her arms crossed feeling rather small only coming up to his ear.

"Hello sexy"

One of the boys slurred at her sticking out his chest, Alu simply made a noise and rolled her eyes

"Can you just leave him alone or can't you help being complete twats?"

She snapped at josh who seemed to be the ring leader

"Tell you what, give us a flash and well leave him alone for a week"

Alu could feel Hank tense up beside her

"CALM IT"

She thought to him

"You want a flash? Fine, but you never stated what of"

Before josh could come out with any remark Alu stepped forward and punched him in the nose, knowing she was stronger than him she wasn't surprised to hear his nose break.

"Bitch hit me"

"You said you wanted a flash, and I'm sure you had a flash of light in your eyes, if not I'd be happy to do it again"

"You're crazy!" and with that all the boys scurried off to their lessons or to mess about behind the school.

"Wow"

"Ouch more like"

"Did you hurt your hand?"

Alu looked at hank and raised an eye brow

"Hank I've fallen from a 12 foot tree without a scratch, been kicked in the back of the head by a horse and didn't realize, hitting brainless weirdoes like josh was easy, I meant ouch as in I broke his nose"

"You did?! How bad?"

"Let's just say if it goes straight again he must have one hell of a doctor"

Hank looked at her and laughed before taking her hand and swinging her onto his back

"Dohnut?"

He was answered by a very child like squeal.

It took them less than half an hour before they had gone for dohnut and where walking along the forest path towards the river behind their houses for some privacy as Hank said he had some important news to talk to her about.

"Ok so you know this science placement I was talking about, well dr McCone called me last night"

"And?"

"And its mine"

Alu was silent for a moment, she knew this was a job he wanted and it would be good for him

"When do you leave?" she whispered

"In the morning"

The teens sat together on the bank for quite some time in silence, just savoring the last few hours they had

"You won't forget me will you?"

"How could I forget my little kitten" a name he had called her for some years

"You know I've always wondered, if I wasn't taken from my parents and put in a lab, would I have any powers?"

"I think so"

"You do?"

"Yeah, your cat abilities are fairly different from your others, I think you were born with those, the rest where given in the labs"

"I wonder if I had a tail."

"Really? You were born with the power to change into a cat, speed and agility of a cat and you want to know if you had a tail?"

"Hey I think I'd look cute with a tail"

"Your already cute" he laughed as she pulled a face, he knew she didn't like being called cute by other people but let it slip when it came from him

"C'mon kitty we should go"

The two teens slowly made their way back to the houses stopping at the split in the fence to say their goodbyes, by this point a steady flow of tears where making their way down Alu's face, hank pulled her into a tight hug promising to come back for her one day

"You can call me anytime okay or write or email anything okay, I'll still be here for you Alu, I promise"

"You better monkey boy"

"I promise, you're my best friend, I will always love you"

"Love you too" she mumbled into his shoulder not wanting to let go and with that they parted ways.

Alu sat on her bed and out of her window she saw hank place his suitcase beside his door and look over to her room as if looking for her, he couldn't seen her but he knew there was a chance she was invisible so smiled sadly before closing his blinds.

Alu couldn't stand the thought of him leaving, she spent a few hours pacing her room, she had an idea but wasn't sure on it, then she decided, she grabbed her purse and made sure all her money and bank cards where in it and gently threw it out her window onto hanks window ledge and before jumping herself she changed her form to that of small black cat with uneven tufts of fur sticking up and bright eyes and walked along a branch onto hanks ledge and managed to squeeze under his window that he never shut properly and made her way to his case with her purse in her mouth and hid inside.

In her eyes mutants needed to stand together even though she didn't see herself as a true mutant.

She was genetically engineered in a lab by someone called Schmidt.