Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. Actually, I don't even own most of the things you don't recognize. This story was started by leslienicolespeaks, who had her account deleted. She has a new account, but is giving up the fanfic world, so she very good heartedly donated her stories to me so we could still read them.

Title: Beneath The Surface.
Originally Written By Leslienicolespeaks

Chapter One - A New Power.

Mika Woods had always been different. From her family, from her friends, from mostly everyone she knew. In her family, she was the only one with light blonde hair while everyone else's was dark brown and with eyes so gray that seemed to be silver. Among her friends, she was the only one that had been home schooled for their entire lives. Among most people she knew, she was the only mutant.

Mika's first power had appeared when she turned seven years old: she was a clairvoyant. That freaked her parents out so much that they immediately gave up of the idea of enrolling her in a school for normal kids, as they defined them. They hired a tutor, prohibited Mika of ever talking about the feelings she felt and she was left on her own to learn how to manage her ability. Her second power appeared when she was fourteen, some time after the birth of her little sister: she could control other people's movements. It took her almost an entire year to actually get the hang of it and stop taking over her parents' movements whenever she got mad at them – what happened quite frequently.

Mika was now twenty going on twenty-one and no new powers had appeared. Her parents were the most grateful ones. They constantly lived with the fear of other people finding out that their oldest daughter was a mutant. They were always worried with the possibility that, one day, she wouldn't be able to control her powers and would hurt someone or, worse, uncover their best kept family secret. Mr. and Mrs. Woods weren't against mutants; they just didn't really know how to face the fact that Mika was one. They knew they wouldn't like to have other people stare or judge them because of Mika's... disease. That's how they called her powers: a disease. They didn't have a better word for it, so they used the most common denomination.

Mika's biggest dream was to attend an university, but she was having a really hard time to convince her parents to let her do so. For the past five years, since she had completed high school early because of home school, she had been taking all sorts of courses: languages, dance, culinary, photography or whatever other thing she possibly wanted to learn. Her parents wouldn't blink before hiring a teacher to her, they could afford them after all. But it was getting old already. Mika wanted to do more. She wanted to experience what everyone else her age experienced. She wanted to make a difference and she knew it wouldn't be easy to do so if she kept her world limited to what it was: fancy parties and manners, fake words and smiles.

"Hello there, love," she heard a male voice say. "How are you today?"

Mika turned to greet her best friend, Michael Malloy, with one of her genuine and shiny smiles. Michael was the only person besides Mika, her parents and her doctor that knew she was a mutant. They had known each other since always and forever because Mrs. Malloy was best friends with Mrs. Woods. Michael was a handsome 21-year-old with his curly blonde-ish hair, shiny blue eyes and a slightly freckled face – not to mention an amazing body thanks to the regular practice of most sports. Michael was an active human life defensor and his plan was to join the pro-mutant platform after he graduated college. Politics, he actually enjoyed them.

"Same as yesterday, Mike. Don't you know how to knock?"

She was wearing only her hot pink bra and jeans shorts, but didn't motion to cover herself. Michael was like her brother and both of them knew that one would never actually see the other as a member of the opposite sex.

"I didn't feel like the occasion needed a knock," he threw himself on Mika's bed and made himself comfortable, as he always did. "I got you something."

"Mike, you don't have to..." she started, but accepted the small, pink box that he shoved in her hands. "Thanks."

"No problem. You're my little sister, it's only natural I get you a gift just for kicks," he replied. "But, if you need a reason, let's just say it's a super, mega early birthday present. It's just too bad your parents won't let you throw a party, like you deserve."

"You know they have a reason. Or so they think," she added as she rolled her eyes.

Mika opened the small box and took a silver necklace from inside it. The pendant was the word 'Breezy' in glittery purple metal. Michael always called Mika like that, because he said she could be as soft as a breeze if she wanted, but she could also knock down big guys. It had actually started as an inside joke and then turned into a nickname.

"Let me help you," he said, getting up and taking the necklace to put around her neck. "There you go."

"I love it, Mike!" she said hugging him, after checking herself on the mirror. "I love you!"

"I love you too, girl," Michael said and noticed when she suddenly frowned and got quiet. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just feel like something's going to happen."

"Was it your power?" he asked and she shook her head no. "How can you be sure?"

"I can't. That's what bothers me."

"You know what? Let's not think about that and just enjoy the day, ok? Let's go out to eat something, rent a few movies and spend the night watching movies while eating lots of junkie food!"

Mika smiled. Michael always tried to make her feel better and he often succeeded in his attempts. She quickly picked an outfit: low rise jeans, black converses, and an army green tight tee saying 'I Have Issues. Don't You?' and grabbed her coat. They decided to take Mika's sister, Adele, with them. Adele was seven years old already and a very bright child, who loved reading and drawing. Like everyone else in their family, Adele had inherited the trademark dark brown hair and hazel eyes of the Woods family members.

After stopping by a fast-food place, the three of them went rent their movies. Michael, being the huge Bruce Willis fan he was, picked The Fifth Element, which he had already watched 127 times before – 35 of them with Mika, who had memorized most of the lines as well. Adele picked two of the hundred digitally-made movies starring Barbie, the doll. Mika picked Shark Tale and Will Smith's latest movie. Soon enough they were back at the Woods residence.

After watching the two movies she had picked, Adele decided to go take a shower, while they waited for their pizza to get there. When the pizza arrived, Michael volunteered to go get it. Mika was in the kitchen, getting plates and glasses, distractedly singing one of her favorite songs.

"Boo!" Adele showed up out of nowhere and scared Mika.

Both girls yelled when the toaster and the garbage can exploded.

"What's going on?" Michael asked as he rushed to the kitchen.

Mika turned to him and the bottle of soda in his hands exploded too.

"I don't know!"

"Mika, make it stop!" Adele yelled to her sister, when the faucet went flying and water started to get everyone soaked.

"I can't!" she replied before a picture hanging on the wall exploded. "Go to your room, Adele! Now!"

The little girl ran to her room, crying, worried about her sister. Mika didn't understand what was happening. That power was completely out of control. The previous two ones hadn't been so hard to handle, she didn't see why this one had to be any different. She was surprised when Michael jumped behind her and wrapped his arms around the girl as tightly as he could. He dragged her closer to the wall and slipped down to the floor until both of them were sitting.

"Oh my God!" they heard Mrs. Woods say when she arrived with her husband.

She had spent her afternoon in a meeting at a friend's house to organize a fund-raising event. Mr. Woods was just getting back from his work place.

"What happened here?" Mr. Woods asked Michael and Mika when they saw the two of them sitting on the floor. They had been on that position for the past three hours.

"Where's Adele?" Mrs. Woods had a slight tone of exasperation in her voice.

"She's in her room."

"Mika, was it... you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, I really am! I didn't mean to do any of this!" she said, crying.

Michael sighed and hugged her tighter. Mika hardly ever cried.

"What happened to your hair?" the man asked. His daughter's hair now had two colors; it was still bright blonde on the surface, but it was dark purple underneath.

"We think it was her mutation," the young man was the one who replied. "Adele scared her and she started exploding everything. I think it was a chain reaction of her power and she couldn't control it."

"Luckily no one was harmed," Mrs. Woods said when she got back from her young daughter's room. "Adele's really scared. She thinks you're mad at her for scaring you. I told her that it has nothing to do with her."

"It doesn't! I'd never hurt Adele or any other person for that matter!"

"We know, sweetie."

"Mika, I think you'll need help to handle your new... mutation," Mr. Woods stated.

"No, dad. It's just another power. It's like the other ones, I just need a little time to get used to it and then I'll be able to control it."

"Honey, this one clearly is stronger than the other two," he insisted. "Your mother and I had already been thinking for a while and... We'd like you to get some help."

"I don't need help, dad! Besides, we don't know any mutants."

"Can't you try... not being a mutant?"

"I try everyday, mom! And I'm sick of it! I'm sick of having to hide myself from everyone! It's not fair! It's not fair!" Mika yelled and the empty trash can was made in dozens of pieces.

"We'll find a place for people like you. You'll have friends like you and..." Mr. Woods started.

"Like me? What do you mean with that?" Mika interrupted him, getting angrier as time passed by. "It's not my fault I'm a mutant! I didn't ask to be one!"

"Calm down! Or are you trying to explode the entire house?"

"How can I get calm if my own parents are practically kicking me out of my own house? Are you so ashamed of me? So afraid of the possibility of me actually admitting my nature? My mutant nature?" she yelled at them and they could hear all the glasses in the cupboards crack.

"Yes! We are ashamed! Do you think it's easy to have a mutant child?" Mrs. Woods yelled after recovering from the shock. "People will hate you! Children will fear you! Your own sister is afraid of you! You won't be able to bear the disgusted looks that people will use when they look at you."

"I'd rather have to deal with a stranger's disgusted look than with the shame my parents feel," she replied, standing up and walked off to her room.

"Mika, wait!" Michael called her, but was ignored.

She didn't want to speak to anyone. She didn't want to listen to anyone.

She locked herself in her room and tried to think of what she was going to do. It was obvious that her parents weren't feeling like the happiest people in the universe with her around them and Adele. She turned her computer and the internet on. She needed to find a place to go. A place that wouldn't be far away and a place where she would be welcomed. Frankly, she couldn't think of any places that would actually, fully welcome a mutant. She turned the computer off a few minutes later. It was useless.

Mika dried the few tears she still had on her eyes. She decided not to cry anymore. Her parents hadn't even tried to talk to her. They probably thought that she would have exploded them if they annoyed her. She started packing her clothes and other things that she judged useful or not. Everything that she could take with her. She knew it was a cowardly decision, a cowardly action, but she was going to run away.

She waited until she was sure that her parents were sleeping and left her room. She stood by the door of her parents' room and silently said good-bye to them. Then she motioned to her sister's room. Adele was peacefully sleeping on her bed, hugged to one of her Teddy bears. Mika kneeled next to the little girl's bed and caressed her pink cheeks. Adele moved slightly and opened her eyes.

"Mika."

"Hey, Adele," she smiled, meekly.

"Is everything ok now?"

"Yes, it's ok."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"What?" the still 20-year-old asked, confused.

"Mommy said I was afraid of you, but it's not true," Adele smiled. "I know you're never going to hurt me. You love me."

"Yeah. I love you, Adele."

"I love you too, Mika."

"Addie, I want you to keep something for me, ok?" she looked through her back pack and took a purple, plastic bracelet from inside it. "It's my lucky bracelet. Michael gave it to me when I was six, it doesn't even fit me anymore, but I keep it because it brings me good luck."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"I want you to have it. Here," she put it around her sister's thin wrist. "Promise to keep it and take care of it for me while I'm away, ok?"

"Ok," she nodded and Mika motioned to leave. "Wait!" she got up from her bed and searched for something in her wardrobe. "Here. I want you to keep Lucy."

"Lucy?" Mika asked and the girl replied by handing her a Barbie doll. The doll had blonde hair with red streaks and was dressed in clothes that were similar to the ones Mika used to wear.

"Yeah. She's my favorite doll. I'll keep your bracelet and you'll take care of her while you two travel. I don't want you to go alone, so Lucy can go with you. She can keep you company," she then gave a small bag to her sister. "This is her travel bag. It has all her things in it if she needs anything."

"Oh, always prepared! I like Lucy already!"

"Cool. She likes you too, I know."

"Ok. Now, get back to bed and to sleep, Adele."

The little girl went back to her bed and wished her sister good night. Mika replied it with her usual 'nighty night' and tucked her sister in.

"Mika?" Adele asked in a sleepy voice and her sister turned to look at her. "Where are you going?"

"Oh," Mika was caught off guard and didn't know what to say for a moment, "some place."

"Okay. Good night."

Mika watched her sister drift off to sleep. About fifteen minutes later, she finally left her house. She turned her car on and drove away after taking a last good look on her house. She knew her parents would probably be relieved once they realized she wasn't there anymore. Just as she knew that Michael would feel sad. She would call him when she found a decent place to stay.

Mika didn't knew where she could go. All she knew was that she couldn't stay in Jersey City anymore. New York suddenly popped into her mind. It was a big city with all kinds of people. Besides, she had heard stories about it, there certainly had to be at least one place where she would be able to stay without people asking too many questions.