Chapter One

A little girl was sitting at her kitchen table. She looked over at her mother. "Mommy…"

The woman scooped up the girl. "What is it, baby?"

She laughed. "Nothing, I just like getting picked up."

They both laughed, and the woman swung her daughter around a little bit. There was a knock at the door, and the woman balanced the girl on her hip so that one of her hands would be free. She opened the door, and saw one of her neighbors. "Hey Paul, what's up?"

The man glanced at the little girl. "Um, hey Rebecca, I need to talk to you. But it's grown-up stuff that Reisa doesn't need to hear."

The girl squirmed out of her mother's house and ran into the house. She had learned a while ago that she wasn't supposed to hear grown up talk. Rebecca frowned at the serious tone in his voice. "What's wrong?"

He beckoned for her to follow him outside. They stepped out onto the sidewalk, and Rebecca almost immediately noticed the small furry lump on the road. Paul sighed apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Rebecca. She just darted out in front of my car…"

The woman hurried over, and could tell by the color that it was her cat. She gasped. "Oh, god." She turned away, and saw that Reisa was running over.

"Mommy what's wrong?"

Rebecca tried to intercept the little girl, but Reisa avoided her, and knelt next to the dead cat on the street. She stared at the poor animal, and Rebecca ran over to pick up her daughter and carry her back inside. She gasped at the soft meow that she heard, and glanced down. The cat was getting up, looking perfectly unbothered by the whole situation.

The woman looked into her daughter's cool blue eyes. "Sweetheart?"

Reisa laughed. "Mommy, Milky Way was asleep but now she's awake again! Isn't that great?" She beamed proudly.

Rebecca coughed. "Did you do that?"

Reisa nodded. "Yup. I just imagined that she would wake up and I already knew it would work because one time I found a sleeping bu'erfly, and I hoped he would wake up, and he did. I'm real good at waking things up."

Rebecca grabbed Reisa and pulled her inside, ignoring the strange looks that she was getting from Paul. She picked up the girl and let her sit on the counter, which was something she never allowed. She grabbed the phone book that was on a little shelf underneath the phone, and began flipping through.

Reisa yawned. "Watch'ya looking for?"

Rebecca glanced at the sleepy child. "Your father… I've explained to you before where he is, right?"

The girl nodded. "You said that he's at a place for people who are special."

Rebecca nodded, relieved that she wouldn't have to explain that part again. "Yes. And I think that it's time for you to go there too. You'll get to be with your daddy, and you'll learn how to control your ability to… wake things up."

Reisa scrunched up her face. "You don't want me anymore?"

Rebecca pulled her daughter into a hug. "Oh, baby, of course that's not true. You know how much I love you. But in these times… it's not safe for your to stay here. There are many people who don't like those that are special, and they could try to hurt you. I just want what's best for you."

Reisa nodded, but her carefree grin was gone. She began nervously twirling her short dark black hair around one finger while her mother went back to searching the phone book. A couple of calls, and a few hours later, there was a knock at the door. Rebecca glanced at her daughter. "Stay here."

She opened the door, and saw a man in a wheelchair on her front steps, a man on either side of him. He smiled softly. "Rebecca. Now that's a name I never thought I would hear again."

Rebecca interrupted him before he could continue. "Don't bother asking why I called you here so urgently, you obviously already know. She's this way."

She lead the trio through her house, to the kitchen. The chair-bound man smiled at the little girl. "Hello, Reisa."

Her eyes widened, and she glanced curiously at the man. "How did you know my name?"

He grinned, and his next words could only be heard in her mind. "Because I'm like you." Reisa gasped. "How would you like to come stay at my school? There will be many children just like you."

Reisa glanced at her mother, but decided that she was a big girl and could make the decision on her own. "Yeah, okay. I'll go. Just let me pack…"

Rebecca handed the girl a suitcase. "Here's your things. There's no time for you to stick around."

One of the standing men scooped up the girl, and the other picked up the suitcase. Rebecca looked at the third man desperately. "Charles… I need to know that she'll be safe."

He smiled gently. "I promise to do everything in my power to keep her safe, you know that. But the same rules apply as they did before, with your husband. You cannot attempt to contact the school or your daughter if you don't want to risk putting everyone there in great danger."

Rebecca sniffled. "I promise." She leaned forward and kissed Reisa's forehead. "I love you baby."

Reisa raised one eyebrow. "You're not coming?"

Rebecca shook her head. "I can't. I'm so so sorry, but I can't. I'll think of you everyday, though, I promise."

Reisa shrugged. "See you later, mommy."

Rebecca gasped, and sank down into a chair. The three men showed themselves out, taking her daughter with them. She put her head in her hands and cried. She had now lost her whole family.

The FBI agent carried the little girl outside, out of that den of filth and vices. There was a social worker waiting outside, she had been called to come in as soon as the agents had discovered that there was a child involved in this case. The agent quickly handed off the child. "Ms Briggs, this is the kid."

The woman gulped. The girl had long blond hair, torn clothing, and was covered in dirt. But the strangest part was her eyes. They were cherry red. "H… hello sweetie. What's your name?"

The girl smiled, and it was an adorable smile. "Death."

Ms Briggs gulped again. The kid had to be a mutant, there was no other explanation for the red eyes. She looked up at the agent. "It'll be difficult to track down her real family, if she even has one, if she doesn't know her name."

The girl raised one eyebrow. "I do have a name, it's Death."

She reached up to pat Ms Brigg's hair, since it looked like it would be very soft. There was a jingling noise, and the social worker saw that bracelet on the little girl's wrist. She gently reached for it, and held up the charm. It was a simple little silver circle with 'Mara' engraved on it. She smiled. "Is your name Mara?"

Mara shrugged. "If you like that better, than I suppose I can learn to get used to it."

The woman chuckled. "Well, thank you for your cooperation little lady." She glanced up at the agent. "Do you know how old she is?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We didn't even know that there was a child involved until twelve hours ago when we received an anonymous phone call from a concerned neighbor. But it doesn't really matter what happens." At Ms Brigg's blank look, he elaborated. "She's one of the… you know… freaks."

Ms Briggs bristled at that. Her sister slash close friend had been a mutant, with the ability to speak with animals. It was messed up that in this day and age there were still people with such barbaric discriminatory beliefs, and it sickened her. She held the child a little closer. It was a lot tougher when the mutations were visible. "Everything's going to be okay, I promise. My name is Karen. I'm going to make sure that you get somewhere safe, okay?"

Mara nodded with a content look on her face. "Okay. Thank you, Karen." Ms Briggs got into her car, and drove down to the center. She talked to a lot of people, and the odds weren't good. Many people wouldn't even keep their own children if they were mutants, let alone somebody else's. Karen stared up at her boss. "I have fostered many children before in my life. So can't I just as easily adopt one?"

The boss sighed. "You know that it's more complicated than that. What if her biological parents show up? What then?"

Karen crossed her arms. "If they do show up, then we'll work something out. But something needs to be done now. You know that the chances of anyone taking in a kid with such a visible mutation are very slim, and I'm willing to take her in, and all the responsibility that goes with her. Please."

He shook his head. "Isn't this the type of thing you should discuss with your husband before making any decisions?"

Karen shrugged. "We've discussed the matter of children plenty of times, and we've both already agreed that an adoption would be best. And now I've found a sweet little girl who needs a home, and no matter how cute she may be, she has almost a zero percent chance of getting one with anybody else."

He sighed, but finally relented. "Fine. You can take her home with you know, and I'll fax you all the paperwork that needs to be filled out in the morning."

Karen grinned. "Oh, come on. Why fax them to me when you can just give them to me in person?"

Her husband slash boss, James, laughed. "Fine. I'll give them to you in person. You know, even though you're a complete pain in the ass sometimes, I'm glad that the world has someone like you in it."

Karen pulled him into a hug. "I'll go tell Mara the good news."

James rolled his eyes. "Is it too late to say that I've changed my mind." Karen laughed. She stood on the tips of her toes to give James a quick peck on the lips, then hurried away. She got back to the large room where Mara was waiting, and knelt next to the girl. "Sweetie? How would you feel about coming to stay with me?"

Mara tilted her head in contemplation, then nodded. "That seems like a nice plan. Are you sure that you want someone like me around you, though?"

Karen nodded. "Of course. I hardly know you, but I have a feeling that we're going to get along famously. And I can't wait for you to meet my husband. He's excited too."

Mara laughed. "If he's as nice as you, then this will all turn out okay."

Karen smiled. "Well, I certainly hope that will be the case."

The little girl grinned. "So do I."