A/N: This is an edited version of the old fic that had excess chapters that were time jumps. This rewrite is the fic without all those extra cuts and newly updated. I was advised to reorganize this fic once it's completed, so that's this right here. Though you can feel free to read that version if you'd like.

In this fic, there is a Wanda (Scarlet Witch) character, unlike her mere mention in Days of Future Past. This is an Peter/Human!OC fic. It is the first of four planned parts in a slow burn series. And it is, right now, set before Days of Future Past (but we will get to there soon enough). There are a few other OC mutant characters too, but nothing big.

I really do hope that this is liked. If not, feel free to shoot me a complain and critic here

The chapters have been broken down further into "Episodes" so if you want a better grouping than just chapter numbers, so, for example, if you want to read them in the clusters as they would be shown on a television show, as those chapters are more related.

Chapter 1: 1 - rainy reptile (Prologue) [Episode 1]

Rainy Capulet is a quiet girl. With not only having an unusual name that acquired her share of teasing in the past, she has also obtained a sort of reputation throughout her peers. Even though during most of middle and high school she attended the same classes with the same students who are with he same group of friends and who are still in the same labs and library study time as she, somehow she had acquired that title.

Since mid-junior high she had been regarded as enigmatic and a so-called "weak girl," which is ironic because she looks absolutely normal—she has no bodily difference, she has average health...

She has lived in this town following the move in elementary, when her father begun pursing his political career and her mother begun falling off the rails in their marriage. But she hadn't cared about that then. She hadn't cared about many things, including what her father did, and not only because she hadn't understood at the time.

A little girl stares at her shoes listening to the voices behind the closed door in front of her. Her father was supposed to take her to the zoo today. The plushie animal she had thrown on her bed minutes ago lay forgotten. She had been sent to her room because she had reminded him. Maybe she should have waited until the other man talking in the suit had left the house...

She doesn't see her father much anymore.

A year prior to her enrollment in high school, she experienced a life-changing event. Now, she rarely speaks in school; she rarely interacts; she rarely smiles—if she does, it's feigned—because she can't. Those closest to her have also picked up on tiny noticeable changes. Neither knew why it was. In the years when she was smaller, she saw the world as a small place; a place where one would have to search far for something greater—this town is the only thing she's known and she wants to get away from it. She doesn't want to stay; she doesn't want to end up like her parents.

Her mother bakes too much and her father's office is constantly littered with papers and men in business suits. There have been too many faces coming and leaving through the front door. Even when they had that house before moving here, there were way too many faces she hadn't cared to count for that she'd get to know and then just leave so suddenly, some without a goodbye. Some who would eat their food without gratitude. Some who slept on their furniture, watch their television. They were all strangers.

There are too many people, too many faces that come and go from their home at the wee hours of the day. Though she's grown used to it, she's grown tired of it

Normally, Jeffery Garcia and similar music would play throughout the house as her mother would sing and dance, usually with a rolled one in her fingers; sometimes her mother would be weaving a basket or just gone. There are times when the tribal-themed furniture and the many antiques that decorated their home would become too much. That's when she would leave.

Rainy has never once been seen doing anything active in high school—she has never been a part of a club, a sport, or band. Since the beginning of high school, she'll be that one reading yet another book or staring out the window. She didn't participate in class unless called on, and she wouldn't talk to you either unless she knew you. But it's not like this is particularly her fault, because if she talked too much, if she got too close, her secret could become jeopardized.

Once in a while she has been seen talking to a small number of peers she's known for a few years now.

She has always sat in the classroom reading books, alone. Sometimes it is a hardcover that looks difficult, other times it's a comic book with a cover design indicating that it will decrease your intellect just by reading it.

Suitably, she's very smart and is at the top of the class. You'd definitely find the name Rainy Capulet within the top names in those who scored out of an upcoming test. So, also suitably to say, she found school profoundly boring. It's a pastime; it allows her to get rid of this extra time in her days.

Most times, Rainy can be found in the bleachers for the school's boys' basketball games talking to a few of the players if she isn't with those called friends or with a book in her hands. She apparently knows some of the players. Other times she's seen with one, or maybe two fellow peers at most, by her side. At the bus stop, she gets on/gets off and walks within a group of others from her neighborhood.

Rainy sees friends as a pastime
Though this too isn't entirely her fault

One would suppose that she doesn't seem to have many friends at first glance, not even one person she's apparently close to or stays around in comparison to the multitude of juveniles who are always in groups, laughing, and joking.

Even though there are a number of others who feel the same as well
Wanda knows this feeling especially

Even though she's been going to school with many of the same faces that transferred from junior high, many of them haven't interacted at all. It is a moderately small town where one would expect everyone to know each other, but they didn't. Many chose not to. And so she stopped feeling.

IF they had known each other...
No one would ask why there are bags under eyes...
You see?

That had been the norm for her now: just living in this small world, trying to survive in an anxious world, dreading the day she would become like her parents as every passing lipstick-smothered and cigarette-smoking adult spoke of. She'd say that would be her excuse for reading so many books.

So those days she didn't come to school for weeks after an injury went generally unnoticed except by those who took attendance. Only a few noticed: those who's reputations were not favored by the popular of the school.

She was first noticed by a young brunette, a member of the school's wildlife society, who went by the name Wanda. It had been near the end of a boy basketball championship game in eighth grade, and Rainy was along the railing stairs out-looking the football field. She was alone and Wanda was just behind the fence far diagonally behind readying for her ride home. Rainy had been standing on a low rail and had been holding her wrist, a slight look of pain on her face, before glancing out at the field for a long time, opening her arms as if the wind could take her away. She also had a gauze and bandage on her upper shoulder. Wanda Maximoff didn't see Rainy Capulet much after, but it was heard that the girl had been on the news with other classmates who had been passing on their way to a diner as a celebration. They had been passing by in front of the camera that was reporting some crime, Wanda vaguely remembered.

Rainy had apparently gotten sick after that. Her reputation of being weak had followed that night.

She has a tendency of leaving unannounced...

Rainy began interacting less in school from then on. She kept out of events, spoke less to her friends, and read more. Much more. Entering high school, she reportedly lost ninety percent of her friends. She rarely spoke to any and only answered questions unless asked. She's merely glanced at by others and it is rare to have an honest interaction with her. She had also stopped smiling.

She was once a very social girl,
her mother worries

Her mother helped cause it

However, that all changed on that day—it's more like a chain of events. A freak chain of events, actually. It all did a complete 360 on a rainy day at the school—it all began with a pale man in dreads and a top hat, a bald blonde in ritual robes, and a boy with silver hair.

Rainy Capulet.
Gender, Female.
Ombre dark brown hair.
Bright eyes.
Birthday, July 7
Multiethnic American-born citizen

This house her parents own is average sized, three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a large kitchen plus an island; but she knew that when her father wins the election he has been working hard towards—if he wins—they would surely be moving into a larger space. To her, it would just make more room to herself and give the guests more space to roam unwelcome.

Rainy brisks down the hall. The schools would be coming soon and she she might have even made it out the door without any unpleasantries if only she had noticed the opened guest room beforehand. The last remnants of sweet smoke flowing into the hall from the open door—it was something so much the norm it went unnoticed at first. She didn't turn to catch sight of their newest stranger in the room and tries picking up her pace even quicker but it was inevitable she found out, as soon as she rounds into the kitchen.

She locks eyes with her mother whom is leaning against the stove. Now, it would take much longer to leave. If she misses the bus, she knew the attitude that would come when she asks for a ride. Last time, she had been told to not ask for another two months.

Her mother's pink flowery nightgown flowed to her ankles. All of the buttons were open—to no surprise—to where Rainy could see her breasts' valley. She knew the woman wouldn't care.

FLOWERS

HAIR IN A BUN

WHITE SMOKE

The woman's fingers rises to her lips, removing the bud from where it had been resting there and blows out smoke. She smiles. "What were you doing up all night, hun? I could hear you all the way in the room." She inhales from the drug again and lets out a small cloud of white smoke and watches it exit out the small open kitchen window. "You hungry?"

"I only got up once to use the bathroom," Rainy answers, hoping she isn't frowning. She watches as her mother moves the spatula to the pan of frying tofu. "And no thanks, I'm not hungry."

'You're why I had trouble sleeping last night,' Rainy thinks.

Her mother takes the blunt from between her lips. "You haven't been hungry a lot lately. Are you okay? You sick?" the woman asks, concerned.

Rainy shakes her head.

"You sure?" her mother worries.

"I'm sure."

Mrs. Capulet shrugs. "Well I am," she grins, turning back to the peppered crumble burning in the frying pan. "You'll be missing out! More for me!"

Rainy's expression doesn't change from her calm. "Mom, you just have the munchies." She never calls her mother by her first name no matter how much the woman insists.

"Yup," and the woman pops the P childishly.

The girl turns, leaving. It is usually like this. Typical. Normal.

As Rainy makes her way to the front door, she does a beeline to the living room and sees a man looking from a family portrait on the wall to the small figurines on the shelf and adjusting the buckle of his pants. This is just what she's looking for, knowing her mother had a "guest" over the night before. And it isn't the first time the "guests" decided to gave themselves a tour or maybe take home a souvenir (usually being a porcelain figurine). Rainy is the only one who checked the house and tries to make sure nothing is stolen.

Like today.

The school bus would be coming soon.

Rainy takes in this new stranger. He had a lumberjack beard, matted hair, and the aroma of a stoner. He has to be one of the members of the private club Rainy's mother is. Washed-out shirt, matching ripped jeans, and a pair of dark shades that no doubt were hiding his bloodshot eyes. Rainy's knows he must be the cause of the smoke in the hallway.

He's a stranger, an intruder, and no doubly a filthy thief. He is also not her father.

And this intruder, he doesn't look surprise upon her entry, so she figured he's innocent enough, having yet to prove himself guilt.

Rainy is still holding the handle of her umbrella as they made eye-to-eye, and there is a beat of awkward silence.

"So yer the kid here?" Light country accent. 'This is a new one,' she thinks. Though his tone is light-hearted and even kind, Rainy still takes a step backward. And he sounds bored, and that's dangerous. Because boredom leads to stupid actions, and stupid actions can lead to dangerous outcomes. The stranger waves, his other hand on his hip. "Name's Bear. Sorry if we woke ya up last night. Ya know yer a lucky lil' lady for her to be yer ma...since daughters usually grow up to be like 'em." He chuckles, proud of himself at his disgusting joke, and winks. "She's a real MILF, you know. And I'm sure your gonna grown up to be like her." He smiles, speaking it as if she should be privileged, before looking her over. "You sure are pretty enough, and on your way already."

She doesn't respond.

"Yer Rain, right? Or somethin' like that. Donna talked a lot 'bout 'cha."

To her, he is making a fruitless attempt at conversing.

PIG

The man—Bear—then steps closer. "Yer kinda cute, ya know..." He reaches for her chin but she steps back out of reach. This time she hopes she's frowning.

She spits a response to him, and he straightens his stance, taken aback.

Luckily, her mother calls him then to eat the bland crumble spilled out on a plate. On the kitchen table is a small, personal bong and a silver spoon with a charred bottom. Rainy watches Bear leave and grab a plate from her mother in the kitchen. His voice vibrates as he tries to whisper, "that kid of yours is weird."

And Rainy's mother groans for the umpteenth time. "I know, I know. I'll have to have a talk with her..."

But she knows that the two would only thank each other for the previous night, and he would leave, and their guest room would still have a slight stench of him and her mother who would wash the entire room down to eliminate evidence and reminders. There is a half-chance that Bear would never come back, it more than likely not, and Rainy checks her pockets to double check she has the key she locked her bedroom with before walking out the door. Her room never stays unlocked when she's not around, a habit that drives her mother crazy but one her father silently nods to.

Only when Rainy's mother hears the bus pull up outside does she remember that she forgotten to give her daughter her packaged lunch.

. . .
. . .

Rainy's hair bounces as she walks, students pushing past one another in the hallways.

At the school, it is a known fact that Rainy Capulet is not the sociable type. She never has, since around the end of middle school, some think. And this is evident in a number of details: the most prominent and supposedly obvious are the never-ending lists of books she brings, or the way she carries herself, or the taunt twist of her lips. It's not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that makes one think that if taken the change to truly talk to her, there's a likely outcome it wouldn't end so well. But this isn't entirely her fault—she just became like this, falling into this bottomless hole after years of trial and failure.

Rainy's lips would pucker and curl and bite, at almost any near vulnerability.

And she tries to avoid any conversation whatsoever, unless with those she knows well—because conversation usually leads to physical contact, and physical contact is something she couldn't sync with, something she couldn't risk. She has acquired a name for herself among the student males who have been the victims of her tongue-lashes and that has added to her reputation of being unsustainable and untouchable.

But then there is also Sherry.

Sheryl "Sherry" Addams
Gender, Female.
Wavy strawberry blonde hair.
Hazel eyes.
Various colored star-shaped hair clips.
Birthday, September 28.
Caucasian American-born citizen.

Sherry Addams is a cheery girl who has difficulty keeping secrets, and even more with knowing what to filter in conversations and when to stop one. Though Rainy has known the girl since pre-adolescent years, Sherry cares for her and both regarded a strong friendship. But it's also Sherry who helped push Rainy's current reputation into existence, unfortunately.

Now don't get it wrong—Rainy does consider Sherry a friend, but this is also why whenever she does come, Rainy drifts to Michelle, another classmate who has a bitter tongue and slight Jersey drawl.

Michelle waves from across the room as Rainy enters the class, and she reminds herself to do the same. She forces a smile, or what she thinks is a smile, approaching the other. The door makes a slight swooshing sound as she opens it.

Michelle White.
Gender, Female.
Tight curls, dark brown hair.
Dark brown eyes.
Wears a silk scarf at the base of her all-natural afro, like a headband.
Birthday, April 2.
African-American American-born citizen.

The classroom is self-divided into obvious cliques, a cliché Rainy notices that runs throughout any systematic hierarchy. There were the students who thought of themselves as the best; there were the athletes, those with minimal academic performance, and the rest just fell in-between somewhere. Such as Michelle, who is a part of the crowd of disco fans.

Michelle is already chatting away, Rainy sees as she approaches. She's pulled into a hug when she arrives, and Michelle is already hyped about some upcoming party at a kid named Jonathan Montgomery's. Rainy declines the invitation—she always does—and Michelle frowns, voicing just that.

"I just don't do parties," Rainy gives as an excuse.

Michelle pouts. "That's what you always say."

"And that's what I always will." Rainy sets her back near her desk. "Unless—by some miracle—some life-alternating event happens that changes my mind." It's an ironic situation.

"...You're starting to be a real buzzkill."

Michelle doesn't know how much truth that is spoken behind those words. To her, Rainy is one of those who promoted parties but never attended. But the brunette had enough reason to not go. There have been events where she's supposed to be excited, happy even, and she just...couldn't. But because of her condition, she stopped going, not seeing the reason to be there when she couldn't get in the mood.

"Well, one of these days, I'm gonna make you," and Michelle smirks.

Rainy nodes. "Sure, whatever you say."

The school bell rings. Students are ordered to "sit down!"

The school building is a large, two-story, pasty white with a single flagpole on the front lawn that is graffitied on every inch under six feet. Only the mob of students on the grass and the red bricks that garnished the front left wing provided color. That, and the art wing, which is a pale yellow blotch ornamented with paint splatter, finger art, and random posters taped to the wall. Everything else is uniform, unchanging, plain.

UNIFORM

PLAIN

ORDER

SAME

BORING

Nothing's changed. It's the same immature parents, this school with the same people she's heard of since junior high.

There is nothing interesting in this town that she could see. The most people were interested in were politics—and those were the adults. Those her age were too focused on fashion, music, arts, drugs, things she couldn't get into but wished.

Black pause scene

The teacher walks in at the last attendance bell, a school-wide starting mark that class is beginning. Rainy watches silently as the man hurries in with arms full of worksheets and folders, pausing promptly to shove his glasses back up his nose..

The teacher sighs and calls for the class' attention as he looks through his folders for a set of papers. It took several tries until successful getting the students to quiet, and even then there is still chatter. This is his third day of this week and his patience is running low.

A trio of boys near the front row next to the window laugh hysterically. This caught the man's attention but neither of them paid attention. One of them pulled something from his pocket but Rainy couldn't see it from her desk. The boy's tabletop shook as the adult at the front of the room slams his hands down on the desk, fed up.

"Next time I see that hat, Jason, it's mine!"

"Thomas, enough! Turn around to the front! Now!"

"Peter, stop talking!"

Jason quickly swipes the baseball cap off, exposing his brown mess. The three turn forward, emitting sounds of stifled laughter. This isn't the first time they've been scolded. No, not by a long shot. It's these three whom are the troubling ones in the class, the "jokesters;" it's these three whom the substitute yells at the most.

A girl in a pink skirt rolls her eyes. One of the other boys winks at her and puckers his lips in a silent kiss her way. Her nose wrinkles and she scoffs, unimpressed.

It takes another minute for the noise to lower again to talking volume.

"Alright class!" The teacher calls for attention again and reminds them that a group lab assignment will be performed today. He begins writing directions on the chalkboard.

The trio of boys smirk at each other, already knowing who will be in their partners. Michelle looks to Rainy, and she knew that both were to choose each other as partners again. Similar glances and silent affirmations were being exchanged across the classroom.

The man crosses his arms. Chalk-dusted hands were placed on his khaki-clad hips in an authoritative manner. "And this time, I'll be choosing who you work with."

The collection of crestfallen faces are amusing.

"And you better not slack off because this lab will count as much as an independent test grade." There were a few slackers in the room and he hoped to get rid of that.

A collection of groans follows.

Michelle twines her fingers under her chin, muttering a prayer, when the teacher picks up the clipboard and began randomly reading off names. Rainy watches her friend with a straight face. It isn't long before her name is read aloud:

"Liam Osborn...Michelle White."

Michelle's jaw hangs open, the bangles around her wrists making low jangling noises as her hands fell.

Then it's Rainy's turn. And she knew because the way the teacher's eyes drifted over the class and ran over her. The girl's emotionless expression didn't change. The teacher's finger slid over to her name and then calls out the second name his eyes fell upon that hadn't already been called.

"Rainy Capulet and...Pi...Pie...P—-" He scrunches his nose, knowing he is butchering the name. He finally blurts, "Pedro Maximoff."

There is an almost snicker that wanted to sound in the air. If there had been for sure, Rainy didn't notice it.

Michelle sucks in a breath; Rainy's face didn't change—she had no clue who Pedro is. She glances at Michelle who is wearing a semi-pained turn of her lips.

She doesn't notice at first, but when Rainy looks around for the profile of her partner, she stares back at a boy who had been looking over his shoulder, watching her. Then, he's called to turn back around. He already has premature grey hair.

As she watched him, she remembers that she had seen him before: around the beginning of the year once when sitting with Michelle and others, dully listening to the conversation at hand. Rainy had gotten up to grab something from her bag—she shouldn't remember what it is—then when she had looked to the classroom door suddenly. It had been before class started and she couldn't remember exactly the reason either, except that he had frozen in the process of removing his headphones when she had seen him. He had had stood in the doorway, and that he's just staring at her—at least that's what she suspected.

He had just stared at her
Like he was transfixed on something, she would have said
But that would have been too bigoted of her to presume, she supposed

She stares back, a glare so intense.

She had been about to lash out a question

"What are you staring at?"

It would have come out harsher than intended

She turns away instead.

She never noticed him before after that, never made the effort to. She barely kept herself above normal with Michelle, Sherry, and the few others she stuck around. That boy is just always that person in your class you partially knew is there but for unknown reasons, you never spoke to.

He is the same person from last time

She makes a faint huffing sound.

So that is Pedro...

Her expression didn't change. She looks back to the teacher.

Nothing has ever changes here, none that she saw. The same obnoxious adults, the same students from middle school. People only care about politics, maintaining mutants, fashion, music, arts, and drugs. It's just...ordinary.

A/N: Follow and Favorites only give a very vague ideas of people's thoughts. So please let me know what your think! Was it bad and crappy? Was it too long and obnoxious? Was it just ok? Don't hold back your words, please! Don't forget to review.