Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution, or anything relatively that cool. Which is why I cry myself to sleep every night. Although I do own this one character, so that makes me slightly happier.

Anyway, me and my friend claytheamazing have been working on this story for a long time, tweaking and perfecting the details. Hopefully, this will turn out to be a success. Begins right after "Fun and Games" before following the XME storyline.

Also, this story will not be given a specific year (i.e. 2008, 2009). It's in its own timeline.

Warning: This story will, at some points, contain graphic violence, language, and (possibly) rape. You have been warned.

I will also be using a couple of songs in this story that are NOT mine. I do not own them, they belong to their respective owners.

Every one man is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. - Mark Twain

Fear is not a disease of the body; fear kills the soul. - Gandhi

Sleep my friend, and you will see, the dream is my reality. - Metallica

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Arrival

Fate is completely unpredictable; a fact that every human has to learn at some point in their life. You can't scam it, trick it, or confuse it. You can't force it to give you good fortune, and you most definitely can't use it as a weapon. You just have to go with it, and pray that what fate has in store for you doesn't completely destroy you. And as it turns out, fate was at work once more...

A few miles outside the city of Bayville, inside a small motel, a teenage boy was thrashing about in his sleep, limbs flailing and moans escaping from his lips. With a sudden gasp, the boy jerked awake, his upper body lunging forward. On instinct, he began glancing around the room for anything suspicious, his eyes darting around rapidly.

The young man calmed down when he realized that he wasn't in any danger. When his senses fully returned, he noticed that his heart was hammering like a jackhammer and that he was covered in a layer of sweat. The teen rubbed some of the perspiration off of his forehead and away from his eyes before glancing toward the cheap alarm clock on the bedside table. The green numbers showed him that it was 5:49 in the morning.

The boy known as Marcus Floyd sighed as he climbed out of his bed, kicking the sheets off of his body in frustration. 'Had to wake up eventually, might as well be now', the teen thought bitterly as he began walking toward the bathroom. A quick shower and then some breakfast, and he was out of there, heading for a special place for 'people like him'. He had never really had a set destination before, instead traveling wherever his master wished to take him.

Where I lay my head is home, Marcus mentally joked as he switched on the light in the bathroom. The teen blinked as the light temporarily blinded him before his eyes adjusted. He walked over to the sink and turned on the cold water, splashing it in his face in an attempt to fully wake himself up. The boy didn't bother drying his face, instead preferring to let the water slide down his skin and onto his chest. Marcus glanced upward, examining himself in the mirror.

His pitch-black hair, which he was very proud of, was all messed up from a combination of sweat and bed-head. His emerald green eyes danced across the mirror as he continued gazing up and down his form.

Marcus had liked to sleep shirtless ever since he was twelve. His body was quite amazing for someone his age. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him; instead, his body contained impressive musculature, which he was somewhat self-conscious about, as it normally drew attention whenever he was shirtless, especially when members of the opposite sex were nearby.

But his eyes eventually journeyed back upwards to his face, which was still wet from the water. "What kind of teenager is afraid of a goddamn dream?" he growled at himself. His mind was angry, but his eyes showed a mixture of fear and shame. The feeling of shame wasn't from being afraid; it was from what the dreams were telling him. He knew exactly what they were about, and he hated having to relive that moment over and over again.

He just wanted to put that whole ordeal behind him and try to move past it, but these dreams continued to haunt him and remind him of what he had done. It scared him. And he hated it.

Sighing once more, Marcus grabbed a towel and turned on the water in the shower. Fortunately, the motel was mostly empty, with Marcus and another guy staying there, and they were on opposite ends of the building, eliminating the fear of awakening a neighbor. This was fortunate, as the other visitor was a big guy with dark hair who had arrived on a motorcycle and looked pretty tough.

Once the water had finally reached an acceptable temperature, and Marcus prepared to step into the shower, he took one last glance into the mirror. His reflection almost seemed to be mocking him. As if it enjoyed taunting him for the nightmares he was suffering from. Marcus couldn't stand it.

"I'm not in the mood for this shit," he growled before cocking his right fist back and thrusting it forward. The teen didn't even flinch as his knuckles connected with the glass, easily shattering the godforsaken mirror and removing the haunting reflection.

Marcus slowly pulled his fist back, checking the damage to his hand. He noticed a few small cuts between his fingers, but nothing else. It didn't matter anyway, they were already beginning to heal. "Hell of a way to start a Saturday, Marcus," he said to himself before climbing into the shower, being careful to step over the pieces of shattered glass.

Twelve hours later...

A black Toyota Tacoma soon arrived at the gates of 1407 Graymalkin Lane, with a large mansion a short distance away, the sun setting behind it. "It's a nice place, I'll give him that," Marcus muttered from behind the steering wheel, his eyes focusing on the building through the lenses of his sunglasses.

Seeing that there was no other way around the gate, Marcus sighed, killed the engine, and climbed out if his truck, showing himself in full daylight.

Marcus was wearing his normal attire of jeans, a blood-red T-shirt, and a pitch-black hoodie. He left his sunglasses on, while also grabbing his keys and his iPod. After locking the truck, he squatted slightly before jumping up effortlessly and grabbing the top of the wall. Marcus then flung himself over the wall, landing on his feet on the other side.

"No one had better touch my truck while I'm gone," Marcus muttered before slipping his hands in his hoodie's pockets and walking towards the mansion.

The teen soon arrived at the door, looking inside thanks to a glass door. Man, this place has some crappy security, Marcus thought as he rang the doorbell, before slipping his hand back in his hoodie pocket.

After thirty seconds of waiting, Marcus was about to ring the bell again when someone finally showed up.

A young boy around thirteen years old ran up and cracked open the door, looking up at Marcus's taller frame.

"Can I help you?" the young boy asked. Marcus couldn't help but smile. He could already tell what was going on: The kid was trying to sound mature, adult-like. To make himself seem older and more responsible. Marcus had done similar when he was younger.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Professor Xavier. He here?" the teen responded.

The kid nodded and opened the door fully, allowing Marcus to enter the mansion.

The boy closed the door and began walking, with Marcus close behind him. The two walked down a few hallways, every now and then seeing another teenager watching them carefully. Marcus had the feeling that guests were not that trusted, especially if they were hiding what he thought they were...

The two finally entered what appeared to be a study, with a man in a wheelchair conversing with a teenage boy that had brown hair and red sunglasses. While Marcus remembered Xavier, he had never met the other guy.

Xavier then stopped speaking and turned to regard the two new arrivals, his eyebrows elevating slightly.

"Jamie, Scott, could you give us a moment?" the bald man asked. The young boy nodded and left the room, while the teenage guy with the shades hesitated slightly before walking past Marcus and exiting the room, leaving Xavier alone with Marcus.

After a slight pause, the Professor finally spoke. "It's been a long time, Marcus."

"I know," the teen replied as he pulled off his sunglasses and stuck them in his pocket. "Three years, to be exact."

"Yes," Xavier said, rolling forward. "But the last time we spoke, you said that you did not wish to join us here. Why the change of heart?"

Marcus sighed as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "I did it for Danny. He said that it would be for the best. Said that I could attend school and learn more about my powers. And control them."

Xavier simply nodded. "And you still have no answers to your past?"

Marcus's only response was a solemn shake of the head.

"I see. Well, I told you before that the Institute was always open to you. I wasn't lying, Marcus. We'd be glad to have you with us," Xavier said.

While Marcus seemed hesitant to join them, life on the streets made him understandably cautious, especially around other mutants, whom he had limited contact with. Life in the mansion would be a good experience for him. Plus, the boy needed to find his own path, one that Xavier wished to help him find.

The teen smiled, suddenly feeling very tired as the previous night's lack of sleep caught up to him.

"Thanks, Professor. I'll try not to disappoint you."

At those words, the Professor smiled. "Good. Now, we'd better introduce you to the other students."

Marcus then spoke up. "Could you open up the gates out there first?" he asked, jerking his thumb toward the window. "I need to get my truck."

The bald man's eyebrows rose up. "You have a truck?"

Marcus grinned and nodded.

"Why didn't you use the intercom? We could have opened the gates for you," Xavier asked curiously.

The teen lifted his own eyebrows before face-palming himself. "There was an intercom? Seriously?"

Xavier chuckled slightly before saying "Yes. You didn't think our guests always had to leap over the wall, did you?"

Marcus didn't respond, instead busy trying to get over his stupidity.

A few minutes later, after overcoming his embarrassment enough to drive his truck into the mansion's garage, Marcus walked back into the study to see the Professor, along with fourteen teenagers, all of whom turned to regard him with curious eyes.

"Everyone, this is Marcus Floyd, our newest student," Xavier said.

So Marcus then went about doing something he usually despised: introductions. But this time, it felt different. Maybe it was because they were fellow mutants. Or because they were other teenagers. Either way, he met the six 'senior' members of Xavier's students first.

The first was the guy with the shades from before, whose name was Scott Summers, and his mutation allowed him to fire concussive beams from his eyes. Marcus made a joke about Scott being a champion at staring contests, which caused everyone to laugh. He could also tell that Scott was a natural leader, and a committed fighter.

Next came an attractive redhead named Jean Grey, who was a telekinetic and a telepath. Though Marcus was initially concerned about the privacy of his own mind, especially his memories, Jean assured him that she respected everyone's privacy.

Kitty Pryde was an attractive girl with a peppy attitude, though Marcus hoped she wasn't as ditsy as other girls with that type of personality. Her power was the ability to phase through solid objects.

Evan Daniels looked like someone Marcus would get along with just fine, considering their penchant for rebelling against authority. His power was to create bone spikes from his body.

The mysterious and quiet girl known as Rogue looked like she'd rather be reading a book in her room, though she still introduced herself and shook Marcus's hand. Her ability, which caused her to absorb the memories, powers, and life force of anyone she made physical contact with, drew some extra attention from Marcus. I know exactly what you're going through, Rogue, he thought to himself, hoping Jean didn't hear him. Her lack of a reaction showed him that she hadn't.

Then came Kurt Wagner, who had given Marcus a slight shock due to his appearance, though the boy recovered quickly. Judging by his accent, Marcus guessed that he was German, which turned out to be correct. Unfortunately, Marcus only knew three words in German: Yes (Ja), No (Nein), and one that he couldn't say in public. When he had told Kurt this, the blue furball had begun laughing. The blue boy was incredibly agile, and he could teleport, which seemed pretty cool.

Then Marcus met the newer recruits, the rookies.

First was Bobby Drake, who could basically freeze things with some kind of beam. Judging by his attitude, Marcus could tell he was a troublemaker, and one to keep an eye on.

Then came Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla, who was blushing furiously and not looking Marcus in the eye. Apparently, she found him attractive. Her powers, which sounded awesome, allowed her to control fire and, to some extent, the earth itself.

Jamie Madrox, the little boy from earlier, had the power to duplicate himself whenever he wanted (or when hit with enough force). The kid seemed kinda shy, though Marcus could tell he had a lot of potential.

Jubilee, an asian girl with a charming smile, had the apparent ability to fire some kind of lasers from her hands.

Sam Guthrie was a boy from down south who seemed like a decent guy, if a little clumsy, and his power allowed him to fly through the air in an almost unstoppable state of movement.

Roberto de Casta seemed like a dependable guy, though he appeared cocky and acted like a perfectionist. His powers allowed him control over fire, flight, and super-strength.

Rahne Sinclair was a Scottish girl who appeared quiet, yet friendly, and she could transform into either a wolf or a human-wolf hybrid.

And finally, there was Ray Crisp, whose wild hair and electrical powers pointed toward the idea that he was a serious hothead. Marcus figured that he should stay on Ray's good side.

"Well, tell us about you, Marcus," Jean said, curious about this new arrival to the Institute.

The boy shrugged. "Not much to tell, really. Grew up on the streets, traveled a lot. Got myself onto the FBI's most wanted list." Marcus bit back a laugh at everyone's stunned reactions. "That last part was a joke, by the way."

A few chuckles, a few sighs of relief (or annoyance?).

"But you really grew up on the streets?" Bobby asked. Marcus nodded and said "Yep. Never even had a day of school."

Everyone was surprised by this, excluding the Professor.

"But, I managed to find myself a pretty good teacher, so I should be up to date on a bunch of stuff you guys are studying," Marcus assured them.

"Well, what about your powers?" Ray asked, wondering if the laid-back new guy was tough.

Marcus grinned. "Good things come to those who wait."

Needless to say, this increased the curiosity of everyone there if he was keeping his powers a secret. Now they all wanted to see what this guy could do. The Professor interrupted their thoughts once he spoke.

"Well, if that's all, would someone like to show Marcus to his room?"

Marcus spoke up, however, interrupting any possible response.

"First, I gotta get my things outta my truck," he said. Naturally, this also drew a lot of attention from the others.

"You have your own truck?" Kitty asked.

"Yep, my baby," Marcus responded.

"Wait, how old are you?" Scott asked.

"Sixteen."

"How'd you get a truck?"

"Poker game."

A silence filled the room, with some beginning to stare in awe, while others began to laugh at what they thought was a joke.

"I'm not kidding. It was a high-stakes game, and I won. Four of a kind, sevens," Marcus said, pride in his voice.

Xavier held off any more questions by speaking once more. "I think that's enough questions. Scott, Kitty, could you help Marcus take his things to his room?"

"Don't worry about it, Professor," Marcus said, waving off any assistance. "It's two duffel bags and a backpack. I can carry it myself."

"Not an option. You're one of us now," Scott said as he stepped forward, Kitty right behind him. A little surprised by the hospitality, which he wasn't used to, Marcus simply nodded and led the way to the garage.

Upon arrival at the truck, Scott whistled. "Wow. You take pretty good care of her, don't you?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. We've been through a lot together. No way I'd let her get all rusty," Marcus responded as gave the side of the vehicle an affectionate pat. He then whipped out his keys and unlocked the truck, opening the back door and pulling out his luggage. He handed Kitty the backpack that contained his favorite books, which she slung over her back with a grunt. It was slightly heavier than her own backpack, which normally contained textbooks and homework.

Marcus then gave the first duffel bag, which was red, to Scott, who grunted as he struggled to hold it up. Marcus noticed this and took the duffel bag back.

"Sorry, gave you the heavy one," the boy said as he handed Scott a blue one, which was much lighter.

"The heavy one doesn't bother you?" the shade-wearing mutant asked as he slung the blue bag over his shoulder. "Do you have super-strength?" Kitty inquired.

"Eh, I wouldn't call it 'super-strength'," Marcus said as he locked the truck back up. "According to scientific studies, I can lift the maximum weight possible for a human to lift."

"And that would be?" Scott asked as they exited the garage.

"Eleven, twelve-hundred pounds," came the nonchalant response.

Kitty and Scott were awestruck. "Twelve-hundred pounds?" Kitty asked.

"Yep. But that's the only spoiler I'm giving you," Marcus responded, referring to his powers. He was grinning playfully. Then a thought came to his head.

"Is the Professor the only adult here?" he asked.

Kitty shook her head. "No. There are two more, but they're both away for a few days. Guess they had to get away from us." Scott and Marcus chuckled lightly at that.

So the three chatted until they reached a door on the second floor. Kitty opened the door, showing a very nice room, complete with a bed, a bedside table, a small bookshelf, a dresser, and a desk with a mirror on it. "Very nice," Marcus said quietly as he looked all around the room, placing his duffel bag on the bed. Kitty and Scott followed his example.

"Well, dinner's in half an hour, and you'll want to get there early, because things can get pretty wild," Scott warned while Marcus began opening his bags.

"Cool. By the way, if you guys ever need an extra chef, I'm there," the new guy offered as he pulled a book out of his backpack.

"You can cook, too?" Kitty asked.

"Yep. One of the many things I know how to do," Marcus responded as he turned around to regard them fully.

"Well, we'll get out of your hair," Scott said, cutting off anything else Kitty wanted to say. The mutant with the red sunglasses then walked through the doorway, pulling a protesting Kitty with him before closing the door, giving Marcus some privacy in his new room.

From his backpack, he pulled out his books and began placing them on the small bookshelf. Most of them were Stephen King novels, with some Michael Crichton, Steve Alten, and a few classics such as War of the Worlds and Frankenstein.

After that was finished, the teen opened his blue duffel bag and removed his clothes, placing them in the dresser in an orderly arrangement. He then pulled out his posters, hanging his 'Metallica: Master of Puppets' one over his bed, his Pantera one on his door, and his AC/DC one near the large window, which oversaw the front of the mansion and the driveway.

Then came the red duffel bag that held all of his expensive stuff. First came the 20x12 inch plasma screen TV, which Marcus placed on the bookshelf right across the room from his bed. Then he pulled out his DELL laptop and placed it on the desk, plugging the charger into the wall.

Marcus pulled out his small stereo and placed it on the bedside table, next to the lamp. Finally, he pulled out a disc-holder, which held a grand total of thirty discs, which composed of some DVDs and some CDs, though Marcus could also plug his iPod into his stereo and play music from that instead of a disc. The last thing he pulled out of the bag was a red headband, the kind used in martial arts, with the symbol of yin and yang on the front. The boy placed it on his bedside table in a tender manner before sitting down on his new bed.

Looking around, Marcus took in the sight of his own room, in a fancy mansion, surrounded by people just like him. There was a time when he thought that he was the only mutant around, though he learned otherwise before he hit puberty. He had never been to a school in his life, had grown up traveling all over the country, and he only trusted a handful of people in the whole world, none of which were his own age. And now, his whole life was about to change. For better or worse.

He really didn't know how to feel about the whole situation; scared, excited, nervous, thrilled.

However, Marcus felt one feeling over all the others: hunger.

Did he really have to wait half an hour for dinner?

So, that's chapter one for ya. Not exactly full of excitement, I know, and it feels a little rushed, but I'm happy with it.

On a small side note, the Tacoma is the 2008 model, with four doors.

A special thanks to my friend claytheamazing, who provided some creative input and helped forge this story into what it is.

Anyway, leave a review, tell me what you think, and stay tuned.