In an alternative timeline, possessing the X-gene is known as being HAV-positive: Heightened Ability Virus. To keep this 'potential epidemic' under control, the government is corralling those who possess HAV and putting them in power-neutralizing environments. It's a fancy way of saying that if you are a mutant, you are automatically condemned: A life sentence in a fancy jail. However, the government was treading on thin ice with these new laws: You couldn't arrest someone for doing nothing. Therefore, the government made a law that said the HAV-positives would be left alone... As long as they did not come out in public. If they did show their face in public, they were endangering those around them, and were put into a 'controlled environment'. Enforcing these new laws is the SBCU: Super-Being Control Unit. They have the right to test anyone seen in public for HAV, and to arrest any who test positive...

Sitting, awaiting trial, my thoughts tumble and accumulate. My court-supplied lawyer sighs in frustration every time he sees me. He says these trials are just a formality; I was convicted the moment the officers knocked on my door. He is even glad of this, I think. I unnerve him, never blinking, just staring into his eyes, unabashed. At least that's what he thinks. His thoughts are written clearly on his face; I can practically hear him every time I stare into his pale green eyes. He believes the DNA tests, the ones that say I'm a mutant. But I'm not. I can't control fire or punch through steel walls. I'm in middle school, for goodness sakes. But everyone ignores this, paying more attention to inhumane tests that are still in experimental stages. But details such as these are ignored or overlooked. Even my parents believe the lies. The look on my mom's faces when the SBCU officers came to our home is branded in my mind. Neither my mother nor my father look at me and see their daughter anymore. They believe they are looking at a monster.

My cell block is full of mutants in the same position as me. They all await trial, chafing in the power-inhabiting collars and cuffs. The restraints don't have any effect on me, however, seeing as I have no powers to nutrilize. I'm HAV-positive, though. That's all they need to convict.

Everyone else around me has powers. The girl in the cell next to me has blazing orange skin. It's amazing. She literally glows in the dark. The SBCU didn't even bother testing her. It's obvious she's a mutant. Her name's Vinita Duvall, and she's from L.A. I've always wanted to go to Hollywood, but she says it's 'totally overrated.' I still envy her. Her mother comes in every day, and they talk until their hour is up. I wish my parents would acknowledge my existence. My lawyer says they moved across state to get away from the 'memories of me.' They're telling my relatives that I ran away from home. I guess it's less shameful than having a HAV-positive daughter. They'd probably be more proud of me if I was a heroin addict. At least then I could be fixed.

The man across from me doesn't sleep. He doesn't seem to eat, either. I heard one of the guards talking about how he can squeeze through any-sized hole. He doesn't have bars on his cell, only a solid wall of glass. The guards laugh at him; I always see mirth written on their greedy, fat faces when they look at him. Not like when they look at the young teen on the other side of Vinita. He's a c-5, the only one in our cell block. I'm a c-0, which means I'm HAV-positive, but have no powers. C-5 is the most dangerous rating. Usually, if you're a c-5, you've already done something dangerous and cruel with your powers. I don't know what the boy can do, only that he laughs whenever the guards walk by him. Words full of fear and hatred always scroll across their skin when they're near him.

"Hey, c-0!"

I turn, looking at the boy with mild surprise. No emotion shows on my face, however. I'd hate to wear my thoughts on my sleeves like everyone else does.

"What?" My voice is slightly raspy from disuse. I had no idea why the boy would suddenly talk to me now. We had been 'cell-neighbors' for three weeks, without him uttering a single word to me.

The boy has a smile on his face, a sly and mischievous one that sent shivers down my spine. The words rolling across his face were flashing by so fast; I could only catch a few. 'Escape' and 'age' were two that kept reoccurring. But surely he didn't expect to escape...

"What's you're name?" The smile on his face was infuriating, but I answered anyway.

"Swallow."

He raised one slender eyebrow, though doubt did not cross his features once. The words slowed down enough to see that he had laughter running through his head. "As in- the bird?"

I nodded once.

My solem manner seemed to amuse him, for his smile widened. "I'm Tim. So, how'd they nab you?"

I sighed under my breath, remembering how I had found out I was a HAV carrier. "Random school sweep." They had tested everyone in my class. Three kids got arrested, including me.

Tim nodded. "Of course. And that's when you found out, isn't it?"

I shook my head. "I didn't find out until that night, after they had informed my parents."

Tim rested his arms behind his head. "Wow, being a c-0 must suck. You have to go through the trials and all, and you don't even get a power to compensate." He looked over at me again. "Or maybe you're just a late bloomer."

I scowled at him. There was laughter all over his face now. Didn't he realize how annoying he was being?

I opened my mouth to tell him to stick it, then paused. Something was missing. The slight whining of the neutralizing cuffs was gone. As if they had stopped working… My eyes went wide in shock, as Tim jumped to his feet, grinning. I could hear the thundering of the guards; all running to get the back-up neutralizer blankets, but it was much too late.

I heard a crash to my right, as one of the super-strengths broke through the bars. The glass cage across from me was already empty. The crash was enough to wake Vinita up.

"What's happening?" She said groggily, then opened her eyes. An odd sort of grin flashed across her face, along with words of excitement and glee, as she ran over and grabbed the bars of her cell. They immediately began to smoke, and turn orange before my eyes. In less than 5 seconds, they were hot enough for Vinita to bend them out of shape. I guess glowing in the dark isn't the extent of her powers. I could hear the shouts of many SBCU agents running for our block, but they were too late for most of them. Really, the only people left were Tim, Vinita, and me. Everyone else had escaped through a hole in the wall that one of the super-strength people had made. Looks like I'd be the only person that got caught…

"Come on, c-0, they're coming!"

I looked up. Tim was grinning down at me through a huge hole in my bars. I flashed him a grateful smile, and grabbed his hand. He easily lifted me through the gap, and deposited me gently on the floor.

"Here, follow me." He ran over to the destroyed wall, with Vinita already half-way outside. I was hot on his heels.

"Freeze!"

I turned, and saw half a dozen fully armed SBCU officers. I stuck up my hands, but Tim only laughed, and pointed a finger at the closest officer.

The officer immediately keeled over, gasping for breath. I looked wide-eyed at Tim, but he was already shoving me through the wall, enjoyment on his features. What had he done?

I hit the ground outside, and ran for all I was worth. I caught up with Vinita, who smiled at me, but didn't stop. We were lucky that the facilities for holding HAV-positives awaiting trial were built away from cities, to make it harder for potential rescuers. Our's happened to be built smack-dab in the middle of a forest. As soon as we made it under the cover of trees, we were as good as invisible. Now, if only we could pretend to disappear off the face of the earth…

This was a plot-bunny that came to me in the middle of the night. I may or may not continue. If I do, the X-Men will show up in later chapters. Be warned- some of them may be difficult to recognize. Also, I apologize for any errors: My auto-corrections are a bit weird…