Note: I really hope I can finish this one.
"Oh man, oh man," the she-kat whispered to herself as she circled the human male once then kneeled down. "Hey buddy, wake up."
The male twitched, making the gray tabby she-kat jump back. Telling herself to calm down she reapproached him. Using her spaded tail she poked his muscled arm. He sat straight up, his adamantium claws ready for battle. He wrinkled his nose as he started to sniff the air.
"Sabretooth…" the man stood up and retracted his claws.
"Sabretooth?" the she-kat's voice made him jump. "I just found you passed out."
"Who are you?" the man questioned, his voice rough and intimidating. "Or… what are you?"
"I'm a kat, or I think I am," the tabby answered. "My name's Asha. You are?"
"Logan," the man answered. "What're you doing this far from the city?"
"I'm looking for Xavier's School," Asha answered, keeping her distance. "Do you know where it is?"
"Yeah, I actually live there," Logan replied as he jumped onto his motorcycle. "Need a ride?"
"Sure," Asha climbed on behind him.
* * * *
"It looks like Logan brought back a friend," Storm said to Professor Charles Xavier as Logan parked the motorcycle.
"Yes, a young mutant," the professor nodded slowly.
Asha looked around the school yard. Mutants of different ages were playing around. Others were sitting under trees or on benches reading or talking. Three mutants were playing with a football. The gray tabby was pretty sure two of them were younger than her.
"Logan, who's your friend?" Storm asked as she walked out to greet the two.
"This is Asha, picked her up on the road," Logan walked passed her and into the school.
"I'm Storm," she took the tabby's hand when she offered it. "Welcome to Xavier's School."
"I've been looking for this place for quite a while," Asha's gaze kept trailing over to the three mutants. "Who's the blue fuzz ball?"
"That's Kurt," Storm smirked as the young mutant transported to catch the ball. "We also call him Nightcrawler."
"Nice," Asha turned her attention back to Storm. "So what exactly goes on at this school?"
"We teach mutants how to use their powers and how to use them responsibly," Storm answered then looked at the she-kat. "Do you know what you can do?"
Asha unsheathed her claws. The formidable claws were black and smooth, looking more like some type of polished gem.
"I'm not sure exactly what I can do," Asha followed Storm into the school. "Seems like things just keep appearing every now and then. I can see in the dark, I have a way with animals, and then my claws. I don't know what they're made out of. I just know they're impossible to break."
"Sounds like Logan's claws," Storm lead Asha towards an empty room. "They're made of adamantium as is his entire skeleton."
"Was he born with it?" Asha asked.
"No, it was grafted into his skeleton," Storm answered with a sigh. "But he can't remember anything before that."
"Ouch," Asha shook her head.
"This is one of our open rooms," Storm motioned towards the fairly large bed along with the huge room. "You should be comfortable here."
"Thanks," Asha tossed her backpack onto the bed and started to explore her new room. "This is like a giant suite instead a dorm."
"Yes it is. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" Storm asked.
"I'm twenty, graduated three years ago," Asha answered as she pulled off her gray hoodie and pulled down her black and orange t-shirt. "It looks like a lot of the mutants around here are pretty young."
"Yes they are, but quite a few graduated just last spring, including Kurt," Storm said as she brushed her white hair back. "I'll let you get settled in then."
Asha kicked off her shoes and stretched out her paw like feet. She sat on her bed and pulled her long hair out of the loose ponytail. Getting lost in her own thoughts she didn't even notice the three that had arrived at her door until one 'ported next to her.
"Yikes!" Asha jumped and slipped off her bed onto the floor.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," the German apologized.
"No, no, it's fine," Asha stood up, her spaded tail still twitching. "I scare easily. You're Kurt, right?"
"Yeah," the young mutant nodded. "Sometimes they call me Nightcrawler."
"I like both those names," Asha gave a warm smile, revealing longer and sharper fangs than Kurt had. "I'm Asha."
"I'm Kitty," the other young mutant said in a rather chipper voice.
"And I'm Jean," the older, taller mutant said.
"Nice to see some friendly faces," Asha flicked her ears. "Lately all I've seen are faces wanting to cut me to bite sized pieces."
"Were they regular human faces?" Kurt asked as he pulled his legs up on the bed.
"No, it's actually only one face," Asha shook her head. "Another mutant."
"Do you think it's followed you here?" Kitty asked.
"I don't think she could've followed me," Asha looked out her window at the school yard. "But I've been wrong before."
* * * *
"Hey Scott, have you seen the new girl?" Kurt asked as he 'ported next to the rather tall mutant.
"Yeah, went and said hi to her a minute ago," Scott answered as he walked down the sidewalk next to the school.
"She's kinda cute for a fuzz ball," the young one said.
"She's only two years older than you," Scott smirked as Kurt smiled.
"Yeah, but why would she want anything to do with a blue fuzz ball?" Kurt pointed to the short blue fur covering him.
"If you haven't noticed, she's a gray fuzz ball," Scott retorted. "She's even got your same tail."
"That's true, but I've barely even talked to her," Kurt flicked his spaded tail.
"Hey, fuzz ball, I need you to come with me and Kitty," Logan barked out once he'd gotten close enough. "Prof. X said there's some type of odd mutant out in the forest a couple miles from the school. He wants you, me, and Kitty to check it out."
"Alright, I'm right behind you," Kurt took off running behind Logan.
* * * *
"Keep your eyes peeled half pints," Wolverine growled as his adamantium claws slid out. "We have no idea what we're up against. Prof. X couldn't get a clear reading on this thing's mind waves."
"Can you smell anything?" Nightcrawler asked as they started to spread out.
"Not a blasted thing," Wolverine answered roughly as he started to search through the underbrush.
"This is one bad spot to meet an odd mutant," Shadowcat sighed as she too began to search.
"Not if you can hear it comin'," Wolverine lifted his head to the darker part of the forest where the slightest noise only his ears could pick up was coming from. "It's comin' this way, kids."
"I think I can see it," Nightcrawler's yellow eyes stared into the grim darkness and at the figure that was gradually getting larger.
"This doesn't even look like a mutant," Shadowcat whispered as the figure started to take shape into a giant animal nearly twenty feet tall at the shoulders.
"Maybe it's like a shape-shifter," Nightcrawler suggested.
"I don't care what it is as long as it doesn't attack," Wolverine planted his feet on the ground.
The beast looked at the three in front of it. It was still quite a ways back in the thicker trees but you could still see its rusty orange and black pelt fairly well. Green eyes a glitter, it leapt forward, nearly crushing the three mutants.
"Stay out of the way of its claws and bring it down!" Wolverine commanded as he jumped out of the way of the beast's fiercely long, killing claws.
"Got it!" Shadowcat phased through the giant paw that had slammed down on her.
Nightcrawler 'ported on top of the beast's giant, powerful shoulders. He 'ported out of the way as the beast curled its thickly furred, spiked tail over its head.
"Whoa!" Nightcrawler screeched as he 'ported on top of the beast's muzzle. "Bad spot to 'port!"
The beast raised a paw to take a swipe at the mutant. Not expecting him to 'port so quickly the beast wound up raking its own muzzle. Howling in agony it took off running back into the forest, partly blinded by blood running into its eyes.
"What was that thing?" Nightcrawler asked as he walked up beside Wolverine and Shadowcat.
"I don't know, but I have a feelin' it's gonna pop up again real soon," Wolverine snorted.
* * * *
An almost full moon shined out from behind some dark clouds. A cold breeze blew through the school yard and its surrounding areas. Most of the mutants were asleep with an exception for a few.
Kurt rolled over in his bed and looked at the red dials on the clock. It read 1:30 a.m.
"Maybe if I stretch my legs I'll be able to catch some sleep," Kurt pushed the covered off and stood up.
Only a couple doors down Asha lay partly asleep in her bed. She trashed wildly, pushing half of her covers off. Nightmares danced a wicked dance in her head.
Kurt paused when he heard something around the corner. Cautiously he looked around and just saw a black grasshopper on the floor.
"A grasshopper? In the middle of September?" Kurt questioned as another grasshopper appeared.
Another appeared. Then another, then another, and another. Soon there were around four dozen grasshoppers scuttling about in the hallway.
"Yuck! But how did they all get in here?" Kurt took a step back as the grasshoppers became a little more jumpy.
Asha bolted up in bed and took off running out her room, the nightmare still wide awake in her mind. She turned a corner, taking out Kurt.
"Hey!" Kurt yelled as the tabby landed on top of him.
"Kurt?" Asha opened her eyes as if she was afraid to see what was there. "Man, I'm sorry I bulldozed you over." She offered him a hand to help him up.
"What was wrong? Is someone after you?" Kurt asked as he took up a fighting position.
"No, I've been having nightmares," Asha whispered as the grasshoppers started to disappear into thin air. "I haven't had them since…"
"Since what?" Kurt asked gently.
"Since…since I ditched the mutant that's been tryin' to catch me," Asha started to walk back to her room, her tail dragging behind her.
Kurt watched as she shut the door behind her. Two sets of footsteps alerted him that Logan and Scott had showed up.
"What's wrong?" Scott looked at the young mutant.
"It's Asha," Kurt answered. "She had a nightmare and ran out of her room, running me over."
"Was she okay, kid?" Logan asked.
"She didn't seem hurt, just…frightened." Kurt shook his head. "I'm going back to bed."
* * * *
The next morning the clouds had moved in, covering must of the blue sky and sunlight. For it being September in upstate New York it was fairly warm. Some mutants were out in the school yard while others were at regular school or were in training with some of the mutant teachers such as Professor Xavier, Storm, Logan, and Hank.
Scott, Kurt, and Jean were sitting at one of the picnic tables just talking about random things, including what had happened the night before.
"And you say the grasshoppers just disappeared?" Jean rested her chin on her hands.
"Yeah, man. They were there by the dozens then when Asha came out and started talking to me they all disappeared," Kurt explained.
"You think it has something to do with her powers, Jean?" Scott looked over at the red head.
"It could be." Jean glanced at the tabby sitting under a tree not that far off. "Storm said that she didn't know what she could do, though it's odd that her powers didn't manifest when she was in her teens."
"And you know, I think that that beast I fought with Logan and Kitty has something to do with her nightmares," Kurt added.
"What makes you say that?" Scott asked as he adjusted his sunglasses.
"Think about it, man. That thing didn't show up until she did then she started having nightmares again. She told me she hadn't had such nightmares since she ditched the mutant that's been chasin' her." Kurt let his eyes trail over to the she-kat. "I feel bad for her. This morning she acted so alone at breakfast. And then what happened last night with her."
"Why don't you just go ask her to hang out with you?" Jean suggest with a smile. "I know you really like her."
"No I don't! I mean…I…how'd you know?" Kurt lashed his tail back and forth.
"I can read minds, remember?" Jean nudged the young mutant. "Just go ask her to have lunch with you or something."
"What if she says no?" Kurt questioned.
"What if she says yes?" Scott raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, fine. I'll ask her." Kurt 'ported from the table over to the gray tabby.
Asha jumped when the young mutant 'ported next her.
"Sorry to scare you, again," Kurt apologized.
"It's okay fuzz ball," Asha whispered as she looked up in the tree then at Kurt.
"You draw?" Kurt looked at Asha's sketchpad.
"A little," Asha pointed up to the squirrel looking down at them from the tree and then to the picture of it she'd been sketching. "What do you think?"
"That's really good," Kurt glanced at the squirrel in the tree then the sketch again. "You should teach me how to draw."
"I'm free all day," Asha smiled.
"Hey, I was wondering if…you'd like…go to lunch with me or something?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah, I guess," Asha put her sketchpad back into her backpack. "Where do you want to go?"
"There's a way awesome pizza place not that far from here. It's close enough I can 'port us there," Kurt replied.
"Sounds good," Asha looked down at her black striped fur. "But I don't think I can go out in public lookin' like this."
"Don't worry about," Kurt pushed a button on his watch and turned into a normal looking human. "Prof. X made me an image inducer. It just can't hide my tail or the feel of my fur. I have a spare one if you want to use it."
"That'd be awesome," Asha smiled as Kurt 'ported for a few seconds then appeared again, handing her the watch.
"Okay, we'll have to set it to a different setting than what I have it on or you'll look like me." Kurt turned a small dial on the watch then the tabby pushed the same button she'd seen him push.
"Cool," Asha stood up as looked at what she would've looked like if she'd been born human.
"You know, I didn't notice that your hair wasn't one color," Kurt smirked as he looked at Asha's ebony middle back length hair that had blue streaks with red tips at the ends of each strand of hair.
"Yeah, I dyed it a couple of years ago," Asha picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "You ready?"
"Always ready, man," Kurt grabbed the tabby's hand and 'ported.
* * * *
The clouds continued to bring the threat of rain a couple hours later. It was still fairly warm but a few rain drops began to fall. Inside the school, Professor Xavier was sitting in his office with Storm.
"I can still sense that mutant out there," Xavier said as he looked out the window.
"It showed up when Asha showed up, didn't it?" Storm asked as she stood up from the couch and walked over to the professor.
"Yes, it did." Xavier sighed then looked at Storm. "I think it's hunting her. Where did she go?"
"She and Kurt went out to lunch about two hours ago," Storm answered as the sound of thunder clapped overhead.
"At least she's with Kurt," Xavier looked gravely outside of the window. "Let's just hope he can keep her safe."
* * * *
"C'mon, we better get going back towards the school," Asha stood up from the table and grabbed Kurt's hand, leading him to the door. "You wanna walk?"
"But what if we get caught in the rain?" Kurt questioned as they walked out onto the sidewalk. "I smell like wet dog when I get wet."
"We can 'port back if it starts raining," Asha shrugged and swung her backpack over one shoulder.
"If you say so," Kurt followed Asha down the edge of the street.
"So you say that you actually go through a different dimension when you 'port," Asha said. "What does it look like?"
"Talk about fire and brimstone," Kurt chuckled. "It's just a bunch of fire and hot rocks. Oh, and weird creepy lizard monsters."
"Any of them ever get out?" Asha asked. "I mean like if you go through a different dimension then you must leave dimensional doors open for a split second."
"Yeah, a few have gotten out," Kurt replied. "How did you know I'd leave gates open?"
"One of my strong points, I studied about alternate dimension and such for a few years since they kept appearing where I used to live," Asha looked up at the sky and was met with a rain drop.
"Where did you used to live?" Kurt asked.
"A city in a very dark future," Asha replied quietly.
"Are you like from the future or something?" Kurt questioned half-heartedly.
"No, I'm from a…" Asha paused. She looked towards the forest then the empty street. "Something's wrong."
"What is it?" Kurt stopped and looked off towards the forest.
"She's here," Asha's green eyes went wide.
"Who's here?" Kurt asked urgently, seeing the fear on Asha's face.
"C'mon, we gotta get back to the school," Asha broke into a run but was stopped by some unseen force.
"Don't try to run," the wind seemed to whisper through the trees.
Kurt turned off his image inducer and raced towards the now hovering tabby. The unseen force picked him up off the ground.
"Don't try to run," the haunting voice whispered.
"Go away!" Asha screamed as she turned off her image inducer.
"I will not go away," the voice whispered and echoed through the trees.
"Who's there?" Kurt questioned as thunder rumbled over head.
"Misty," echoed the voice as a figured appeared, apparently hovering. "You are associating with a kat on the run."
"Leave him out of this Misty!" Asha growled as a thick fog started to move in. "This is between you and me."
"Yes, but in order to bring you to your knees I must take something…or someone away that means a great deal to you," Misty looked at Asha then Kurt.
Misty had thick gray fur with odd black markings on her arms, tail, and around her eyes. She was adorned with jewelry from the fang earring to the brass band around the end of her tail. Her eyes were completely gray suggesting that she was blind. A leather pouch was strapped around her left leg. She wore silk white and gold shorts and a silk white and gold shirt that just covered her chest and connected to a wooden hoop around her neck.
Kurt raised an eyebrow and 'ported down to the ground.
"Kurt you shouldn't have done that," Asha cried as the telepathic force holding her up disappeared.
"A teleporting mutant," Misty whispered as she tilted her ears forward, using her acute hearing to track the 'porting mutant.
Asha hit the ground with a quiet thud, seeing as she had landed on her feet.
"Kurt, get out of here!" the tabby yelled.
"I'm not leaving you!" Kurt 'ported over by Asha.
"Yes you are," Misty raised her hand, lifting Kurt up as she did.
"I'm taking you down," Kurt 'ported behind Misty and landed a strike on her back.
He 'ported again and again until he saw her start to get weak. He figured one more hit would bring her down. Misty tilted her ear backwards, already calculating where the mutant was going to 'port. She whipped around and grabbed Kurt's throat.
"Predictable little mutant," Misty hissed as she started to dig her claws into his neck.
"Can't…'port…" Kurt gasped as he gripped the she-kat's arm.
"Kurt!" Asha looked over the edge of the cliff at the bubbling ocean.
Blackness started to become more apparent in Kurt's vision as Misty gripped his throat tighter. Where her claws dug in burned and stung.
Asha growled and leapt off the cliff at Misty. She gripped the she-kat's shoulders and raked her back with the claws on her back. Misty hissed and turned, letting Kurt drop into the treacherous ocean.
"I really hate you," Asha hissed under her breath to the she-kat and dove down after Kurt.
The tabby hit the ice cold water and dove down deeper, managing to catch the blue fuzz ball's arm and drag him back to the surface. Asha gulped deep breaths of salty sea air and swam towards the cliff face. She wrapped Kurt's arms around her shoulders and began to climb the rocky cliff.
"What adrenaline will do for you," Asha grunted as she reached the top and pushed Kurt over first then jumped onto solid ground. "C'mon Kurt," the tabby pushed down on the young mutant's chest.
Kurt started to cough and choke. He sat up a little, still spitting out salt water.
"Asha…" Kurt shivered and stood up with Asha right beside him. "My throat…it hurts…"
Asha grabbed the wet fuzz ball as he lost consciousness again. Gently as possible she picked Kurt up in her arms and took off running towards the school. The claws on her feet tore up grass and fallen leaves. The school had been closer than she thought. She busted through the huge doors and looked around for the closest mutant.
"Storm!" Asha ran up to the female mutant.
"Asha, what happened?" Storm questioned as she took Kurt from the tabby's arms.
"Tell you later, just help him!" Asha ordered.
Storm nodded. She saw that some of the water running down the tabby wasn't just salt water but tears.
* * * *
"Scott, can't you drive any faster?" Kitty complained.
"Kitty, we're almost to the school," Scott replied for about the fifth time.
"Is Kurt okay?" Kitty asked for about the tenth time.
"Kitty, I said the professor said he's going to be fine. He's still asleep though," Scott pulled up the road to the school. "If you wake him up, I think Asha's gonna kill you."
"She's with him?" Kitty made a face.
"She hasn't left him," Scott said. "She was with him when it happened."
"When what happened?" Kitty begged to know.
"I don't even know, only Storm, Xavier, Logan, and Asha know," Scott pulled under the garage and shut off the car engine. "Maybe if you ask one of them nicely they'll tell you."
Kitty phased through the door of the car and right through the wall into the school. She phased through walls and doors, taking shortcuts up to Kurt's room. Once there she quietly pushed to door open.
"Hi Kitty," Asha said quietly as the young mutant walked up to the bed.
"Hi," Kitty approached the tabby a little warily. "Is he gonna be okay?"
"He's gonna be fine," Asha looked at Kurt who was sleeping peacefully on his bed.
"What happened?" Kitty questioned.
"It's my fault," Asha pulled her legs up on the end of the bed where she was sitting. "We were attacked in the forest, after we left the pizza place. The one who attacked us is a powerful mutant called Misty. She's telekinetic and if she's touching you your mutant abilities go away, but only when she's physically touching you."
"And what did she do to Kurt?" Kitty whispered as she sat on the end of the bed too.
"Well, he tried to fend her off, which was brave but stupid," Asha sighed. "She could her him 'porting and managed to grab his throat, nearly strangling him. I attacked, making her drop Kurt into the water. After I dove after him she disappeared."
"Is Misty, like, the mutant that's been chasing you?" Kitty asked.
"Yeah, she is," Asha looked out towards the window and the dark shadows of the clouds. "Hey Kitty, do you mind shutting the window?"
Kitty stood up and walked over to the open window. The breeze made a soft moaning through the grass and trees. The haunting sound then came. It was low and far off at fist then got louder, closer. It was like the echo of a scream.
"Like, what the heck was that?" Kitty backed up from the window. "It sounded like a ghost."
Asha stood up and walked over by the young teenage mutant. Now the scream had turned into the sound of a sorrow. It sounded so smooth, almost like a violin just earthier. Again it changed its sound. It became more of a blood curdling neighing screech.
Downstairs, Logan had heard it too. He stood up from the table and looked out the window into the fog. Running across the school yard was an immense shadow. It had a very dark tone about it. Blood red spider web markings ran across its flanks and white bone colorations stood out in the fog. A long, unnatural tail trailed behind it. A black mane with fiery red tips crested its neck. But the fiercest thing about the dark horse was its face. It wasn't a face anymore. Its skull was exposed and had blood red spider webs running across it. Two horns, the first one being the smallest, stood atop its wicked head and blood red eyes lusted for blood.
"What the…?" Logan watched it for a second before calculating where it was going. He took off running upstairs.
"It's, like, a shadow or something," Kitty pointed to the dark horse racing across the yard.
Asha and Kitty backed away from the window as the horse pushed off the ground with its hind legs and leapt through the opening. Logan pushed open the door and gasped at the immense shadowy horse leaping through the window. Before the horse touched the floor however, it disappeared into thin air. All that was left was just an echo of its ghostly neighing.
"What was that thing?" Logan hissed, trying to keep his voice low enough not to wake Kurt.
"We don't know!" Asha and Kitty both answered as a deafening clap of thunder echoed over head with the neighing mixed with it.
"What's going on?" Scott asked quietly as he walked into the room.
"You'd never believe us," Asha said.
"It was, like, a giant shadow horse that disappeared into thin air," Kitty replied as she put her hands on her hips.
"You're right," Scott adjusted his shades. "I don't believe you."
"Believe it Scott," Xavier said as he wheeled his wheelchair in. "That was a live shadow. It had brain waves, I could sense it."
"But where did it come from?" Logan questioned as he retracted his claws.
"We'll have to figure that out," Xavier wheeled out of the room with everyone but Asha following.
She sat back down on the bed. The tabby glanced out the window. Something about that horse seemed to strike a certain chord. Asha sat there, deep in thought.
"Asha?" the quiet voice asked.
"Kurt?" Asha turned her head and looked at him. "How're you feelin'?"
"Okay," Kurt sat up and leaned against the head board. "My neck hurts a little."
"I'm glad you're feelin' better," Asha half-heartedly smiled.
"What was everyone talking about? I heard them talking about a living shadow," Kurt inquired as he looked towards the window.
"A living…shadow horse leapt through the window but disappeared before it hit the ground," Asha replied quietly. "I think it was…the horse of death."
"Mein gotte!" Kurt's yellow eyes went wide. "The horse of death?"
"Yeah, or so I think it is," Asha whispered as she looked out the window again. "It was black with blood red spider webs and white bones on its flank. It had a long, lion like tail with thick black fur tipped with fiery red like its mane. But its face…it was terrifying. Its skull and jawbone were exposed and it had two or three horns on its head with fangs. The fangs were so long and deadly looking. Its eyes were blood red with a lust in them."
"The horse of death was a pale horse though," Kurt said as he brushed his indigo hair back.
"This horse…it was one I've seen before," Asha sighed. "I've seen it in my nightmares."
"You said that you didn't know what your powers were," Kurt swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Maybe that was your powers starting to show. Maybe you can create things out of shadows."