Summery: This takes place after X2 and the whole Phoenix thing. The X-Men, on one of their missions, meet a team of mutants. They are the very first mutants and they have lived since way before scientists are able to date back: over five quintillion years! Mutants evolved from these people. These missioners all look middle-aged. Their leader, Animila, on the other hand, looks like a girl in her late teens. They go only by their code names: Animila, Hot Hands, Diss, Brain, and Inviz, because they had forgotten their given names. They can't die from old age. They are also very skilled in martial arts, sword-play, and gun-fighting. Their technology that they use is the most advanced…anyway Animila has nightmares about her enemy, Sricmoni, returning to her and she turns to the X-Men for help until they find out that Cyclops is also a victim-to-be of Animila's foe. Animila's Team S and Xavier's X-Men must find a way to defeat their threat before all humanity is destroyed.

Disclamer: I own the Team S I created and are seen throughout this story. However, the X-Men aren't mine; they belong to Fox and Marvel…lucky devils!

A few missions back, the X-Men had met few missioners themselves. They were angry missioners, nonetheless. But they recently bonded and teamed up with the X-Men, but still remained in their own team. Their leader, by the name of Animila, named them "Team S". She was the eldest, most powerful, and fearless mutant alive. She was also the most beautiful. Her assesories didn't matter. She had Eagle wings on her back, a lion's tail, retractable jaguar's claws and saber-tooth cat fangs, snake tongue, and bear ears. Obviously, she can turn into any animal she pleased. She also had another power: she could nonverbally speak to nonliving things and have them do whatever she desired. She and her Team had also lived for over five quintillion years, which is is why they know so much about everything.

Now, this ancient and powerful mutant was asleep in the room Xavier had granted her. However, her slumber was not peaceful. She tossed and turned and mindlessly pulled the blankets close to her face as if she was trying to hide.

A little ways down the hall, Scott Summers, also called Cyclops, was kept awake by this troubling noise. Worried, he got out of bed and walked down to his friend's room. Animila had a painful expression about her. She was dangerously near the left edge of her bed, looking as if she was going to fall off at any second. Sweating and gasping, she tossed viciously in her sleep.

"An," he whispered, leaning close to her and trying to wake her up from her troubling sleep. "Animila. Wake up. An, you're having another bad dream. An--?"

The animal girl jerked awake with a shout. Doing so, she speedily sat up and clashed her forehead against Cyclops'. This happened with so much force that she knocked him backwards off his feet.

"Oh!" she leapt off of her bed and knelt at his side. "I'm sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah," he replied as he sat up. "Just remind me to get a facelift tomorrow."

"What were you doing in here in the first place?" she asked as she helped him to his feet.

"I heard you while you were having another nightmare from down the hall."

Animila's expression dropped and her voice deepened. "Oh. Yeah. That."

"Jean and I are getting worried about you, you know. This is the third one this week. And this happens to be the third night of this week!" Scott pointed out while Animila grabbed a small, square, satin red pillow and buried her face in it. "You're having a nightmare epidemic, here."

"I know, I know," Animila's muffled voice said. "It's just reruns of my past, basically."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Animila pulled the pillow away. "Not tonight, Scott. Maybe another time."

"Okay. Well, whenever you're ready, my doors are open."

"Thanks. G'night, Scott."

"Night, An."

the next day

"What in Hell's Oven--Animila! Have you been smokin' Waco Weed of somethin'? Come outta there!" Logan exclaimed as Animila had suddenly shifted into the form of a large mouse and jumped underneath the couch cushion he was seated on in the rec room. She saw something that apparently frightened her on the news. Logan dug down beneath the seat and tried to pull the shaking mouse out. Jean had entered when the event suddenly happened.

"Logan! Be careful, you might hurt her!"

"Not before she tears up my favorite couch seat!"

"Hold on a minu--time out!" Jean lifted out the terrified animal with her telekinesis and brought her to her hands. "Logan, you need to take pity and consideration every once in a while.

She brought Animila, still in her mouse form, to hers and Cyclops' bedroom, gentaly stroking her with her finger. Animila obviously felt safe in Jean's palms for the moment. Cyclops was reading a Times magazine on their bed. He threw the magazine aside and sat up when he saw them.

"What's wrong?" he asked her as she laid down on her stomach next to Cyclops.

"She and Logan were watching the news a minute ago, and I guess something she saw scared her. And it takes an awful lot to scare Animila!"

"Maybe it had a resemblance to something in her nightmare last night."

"She had another nightmare?" Scott nodded. Jean looked to Animila. "You know, we can't help you unless you tell us what's bothering you," The grey mouse shook her head. "I'm beginning to think that your nightmares have something to do with what you're feeling," Animila looked down slightly and nodded. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know. We're always here if you need to talk to someone."

"No offence, Jean, but it's just not the same as talking to Hot Hands." Animila's voice came out of her mouse form. Hot Hands was her right-hand man and second-in-command of her Team. He and the rest of her Followers and a few X-Men had gone off on a mission far away. He was the one person she could talk to. He alone understood. She now felt beside herself in this mansion full of her friends and students.

"I know," Jean replied. "But we're good listeners. And nothing we say will leave this room."

Animila snort. "That's an age-old phrase, hon. But I guess you're right."

So, for about an hour, Animila let out her feelings, her past, and what her nightmares suddenly brought back while the couple intently listened, eager to help her out.

How was this first chapter? I know it isn't really true to the comics, but is it okay, or did it suck? I'm sending the next chapter pretty soon. I hope you like it.