Hi, this is my first fanfiction, and actually my first time writing anything at all, so try to bear with me. I've always wanted to try and write something, and i figured it be easier to start with an already established universe, so i recalled the old X-men: Evolution cartoon i used to watch when i was a kid, and found my inspiration.

It's been a looooong time since I've seen that show, so there may be some in-continuities with the character's (OOC'ness likely. . . ), but this is also pretty AU, so it won't be a mirror image of the show. Basically the story will focus on three of my favorite characters from the show, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and Wolverine. Others will show up as well, but those three will be my main star's.

As for the story, i'm still getting a feel for everything, so it'll develop along the way. I hope it doesn't seem to stifled early on, but i promise there is a plot that will come barreling along within the first couple of chapter's.

Anyway, onward with the first chapter!

[EDIT] As of now i am 14 chapters into the story. These earlier chapters aren't quite as smooth as i would like them to be, but this whole story is a learning process. My point being. . . It gets better later! I promise! ;) [EDIT]


Chapter One


Snow fell from the night sky; covering the city below it with a blanket of white. The wind blew in a gale; driving the freezing snow mercilessly upon the city's inhabitants, or at least those unlucky enough to be caught outside in the middle of a blizzard.

Kurt Wagner was one of those people.

It was a frigid night in January and the German was on his way home from the University. On a normal night he would already be home, relaxing in a comfortable chair, reading a book, and enjoying a peaceful solitude. On this night however, the heavily falling snow obscured his vision and pelted his face, making the journey needlessly difficult and terribly cold.

'Dammit!' He thought bitterly. 'I would have much rather stayed and continued working than battle this weather.'

Although a student, Kurt also worked evenings as a janitor within the University. It wasn't the greatest job by far, but Kurt was thankful. Even though he now wished he had called in sick. Having no car, he walked most places and the journey from work to home was usually something that didn't bother him.

Unfortunately, tonight there was this damn storm.

Kurt trudged on a bit longer, his breathe leading the way as it puffed in front of his face, reminding him of an angry bull in cartoons he watched when he was a child.

'Of course there is a quicker way home...'

The thought popped into his head, not for the first time tonight. He had talked himself out of it earlier, but the storm was worsening and he was beginning to feel desperate. His face contorted as an inner battle of reasoning ensued. Not that it took very much more persuasion. Finally he appeared to come to some sort of resolution as he approached a heavily wooded park area.

Surely with the heavy snowfall and the obscurity of the tree's, there would be a safe place...

As Kurt neared the park, he turned and made his way into the wooded area, working his way deeper, until he was confident that he couldn't be observed. He warily looked around once more, before suddenly disappearing in a flash of smoke.

Such a sight would've been a shock to anyone who might have observed it. A person there one moment and gone the next. It was almost certainly a magic trick, a quick distracting flash that allowed the magician to flee from sight before anyone had a chance to see his departure. If not for the footprints that abruptly stopped, that might have been the case.

But it was no trickery, nor any magicians sleight.

Kurt was a mutant, a human with a special mutated gene that often granted even more so special ability's. And he had the ability to teleport, relocating himself from one place to another, by transporting his body via an alternate dimension. The teleport itself left telltale traces, a hint of brimstone and, most noticeably, the audible and intrusive 'BAMF' noise caused by its usage.

On a night like this particular one, it was quite a handy thing to be able to do.

One 'BAMF' and an instant later Kurt found himself within his apartment. Throwing off his coat, he felt relieved to be out of the weather, but also a growing sense of worry left its trace on his mind. Although he knew that with the tree cover and the blinding snowfall the likelihood of anyone or anything having seen his sudden disappearance was slim, he still had the panicked feeling he got every time he used his ability.

Kurt lived in Germany, and the country was currently extremely intolerant and hostile towards mutants like himself. The government had even set up surveillance equipment nearly everywhere to try and discover mutants within the populace. These ranged from simple cameras to specialized sensors designed to detect an occurrence of a mutant ability. Anyone who was detected or observed with an ability was promptly taken into custody and placed within special segregated communities designed to house mutants and to stifle their powers. Most receive beatings if they so much as hinted at resistance.

This alone gave Kurt reason to be wary to use his ability, but there was also something else that made him outright fearful to do so.

That was his appearance.

Although Kurt looked like a normal person, the truth was that it was a deception, enabled by a special holographic image-inducer worn upon his wrist. Kurt's true form was that a blue furred humanoid, with three fingers to a hand, only two toes (three if you count the digit on his heel), pointed elf-like ears, yellow eyes akin to an animals, fanged canines and a prehensile barbed tail.

His appearance unfortunately lead him to being compared to a demonic creature by those who had antagonized him in the past. Despite this he was surprisingly (And ironically), a devout Catholic, something which had helped him learn to accept his own appearance, though others likely never would.

He knew that if his ability was found out he would be detained, which would lead to his appearance being discovered. And he knew that there would be no place for him after that, having learned many years ago that only death awaited him from those who could not understand his nature.

Kurt tried to put his fears out of his mind, but having lived the life he had lived, it was difficult.

He sighed and made a quick 'port over to his recliner, thankful the government hadn't installed mutant detectors within the privacy of peoples homes.

'Yet...'

Kurt removed his hologram watch and placed it on the end table beside his chair. He sat back and relaxed, his thankfulness to be home and in a warm, dry place renewed. Though he briefly thought about doing some reading, it wasn't long before the weariness of his journey and exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep where he sat.


*rriinng . . . rriing rriiing . . . rriing rriiing . . .*

Kurt awoke to the distant sound of his alarm ringing in his bedroom. He sat for a few moments more, wishing the alarm would shut itself off, and lamenting his increased hearing perception. It wasn't to uncommon to find himself waking up in his chair rather than his bed, as he often fell asleep when reading, or, like the previous night, when exhaustion overtook him.

'Maybe I can get by sleeping in today...' He tried to recall when was the last time he had "accidentally" overslept.

Oh yeah. It was yesterday.

*. . .rriiing . . . rriing rriiing . . .*

*groan*

After deciding it probably wasn't a good idea to sleep-in yet again, he dragged himself from his armchair and into the bedroom to silence the blaring alarm.

A quick shower and a change of clothes, and Kurt Wagner was ready to meet the day.

"More or less." He muttered as he pulled on his coat and strapped on his holo-watch, before making his way out of the apartment building.

He trudged off down the street, clomping his way through the snow from last night. As he walked he watched the early morning signs of life, people leaving their houses, some walking like him, others climbing into their vehicles. He didn't own car, and had very little actual experience driving anything, most of his early life he teleported when he had to, and walked the rest of the time. Those were the days when he was nearly constantly on the run, moving from one village to another, never staying long before being found out, and having to flee for fear of his life.

As he got older he got better at hiding, but still there were times when he was discovered.

One of those times turned out to be very fortuitous, as the man who discovered him didn't go running to people and starting a witch-hunt for a demon. Instead the man offered his assistance, promising Kurt he could find a way to make it so he wouldn't have to hide.

This man's name was Adam Adler, and he too was a mutant. Because of this he was well aware of the unfair way's many treated those with the genetic mutation, and could easily understand how much worse it could be for someone of Kurt's appearance. He had shown sympathy to Kurt, and helped him when everyone else ran in fear.

One day Adam had surprised Kurt with a gift: The image-inducer which he now wore.

He had been rather coy about how he had come into the ownership of such a device, apparently it had something to do with "Old favor's.".

Nevertheless, Kurt had been elated when he had gotten the watch, and had started trying to begin a normal existence, along with Adam's help, enrolling himself in school and trying to fit in with the rest of the populace. He excelled at his studies and went on to become a student at a local university.

Adam got him a job as a janitor there, with Adam himself working maintenance. Kurt knew Adam could be off doing any number of much more rewarding jobs, but he felt this was Adam's way of keeping an eye on him.

Although he found his new way of life immensely better than the previous, there were still caveats. Number one being, despite the hologram, he was still abnormal, and if one was to touch him they would feel the fur on his skin and the strangely shaped body he possessed. This lead to difficulty when he tried to have normal relationships, with his first friends screaming in terror when he revealed his true self to them.

All in all Kurt no longer had to run or sleep in fear, or scavenge or steal food. He had an actual life now, rather than just an existence. However, he felt there was always something missing. He had felt it his whole life, but the act of surviving had quelled its nag. Now that he was in an actual state of comfort, the missing feeling was sometimes overwhelming. He realized that although he was extremely thankful for his life, he was unhappy.

And as he stopped at a street corner, he glanced up and remember the reason for his unhappiness, the reason why the feeling that something was missing was so persistent.

Up atop a traffic light was mounted a whirling sensor, and it's sole purpose was to discover any mutant abilities that presented themselves within its range.

The sensor reminded Kurt of his dare to use his own abilities last night, and the feeling of fear of being discovered that came with doing so. It reminded him of how different he truly was, not just because of his mutant ability, but also because of his appearance. It reminded him how he could never be close to anyone, how he could only keep up a facade of normality and if anyone ever found out what he truly was, they would reject him and hate him, no matter how much he may care for them himself.

Kurt could only sigh as he crossed the street, his thoughts weighing heavily on him as he entered his favorite diner.

It seemed unusually packed in the diner this morning. As if the cold and the snow drove more people into the building than usual, with the promise of hot food and drinks keeping them there.

Kurt too, was looking forward to a hot and bountiful breakfast. He took his regular seat near the back of the building and waited for the waitress to come by.

It wasn't long before he heard a cheerful voice call to him.

"Hey Kurt!"

Kurt smiled and looked up to see Sophia coming down the aisle toward him. She was one of the students in Kurt's class, and she worked in the diner as a waitress. Because of this she was one of the few people who Kurt had became friend's with and also a reason why this restaurant was his favorite to eat at.

"Good morning Sophia!" Kurt said cheerily, his earlier gloom largely forgotten.

"Good Morning!" She replied as she arrived at his table. Her smile suddenly turned into a frown. "Uh. . . No offense but you look terrible."

"Gee. Thanks." Kurt deadpanned. He knew he was a little haggard, but he had hoped it wouldn't show much.

"Fever?" Sophia asked, making as if she were about to press her palm to Kurt's forehead.

"Oh, er no! Just not much sleep." Kurt replied quickly, backing away slightly to ward off her touch.

"Well ok then." Sophia retracted her hand, and a smile spread across her face once again. "I know just what'll wake you up!"

"Oh?" Kurt quirked an eyebrow.

"A plate of fresh, steamy, pancakes, with butter melting across the top, and sweet, sticky syrup drizzled all over." She said, leaning in as she spoke.

Kurt's eyes grew wide at the description, and his tongue practically lolled out of his mouth as she leaned to eye level with him.

"And . . . M-maybe some b-bacon?" He asked timidly.

"And definitely bacon!" Sophia laughed, straightening up. "It'll be here soon hungry boy. Keep your tongue in your head."

She whirled around and started walking to the back of the diner, writing Kurt's "order" on her pad as she went.

Kurt just sat there, feeling a little confused.

'Did I even order anything?' He thought.

He looked to where Sophia had disappeared into the kitchen. Well. At least she knew how to get a guy hungry. Of course he was already hungry. But still.

She had an effect on him for sure. He felt something akin to happiness in her presence. Sophia was cheery, friendly, nice and actually seemed to take an interest in him. Even if that interest never went beyond friendly. Truth be told, it likely never would. She had a boyfriend. And he knew she was happy with him.

Kurt felt a twinge of sadness streak across his chest. He wondered if things were different, and she had no boyfriend, if she would even consider being with him. Would she be happy with him? Would she accept him if she found out how he truly looked?

'Of course she wouldn't . . . She would be afraid, and run away.' Kurt bitterly thought. 'She would think you are a freak, a monster.'

"A demon."A voice within him spoke.

Kurt flinched at the word, and more at the inner voice that spoke it. A voice filled with hatred and despair, it seemed as though it came from somewhere beyond his own thoughts. An intrusion within his mind.

An invader of his soul.

He said a quick prayer for reassurance, and hung his head.

Kurt's gloom returned. His thoughts turning sour as he waiting for his food.

After a few minutes Sophia returned with his order, and he felt his spirits lift, however briefly, before she left to go finish her shift. He knew they'd see each other again in class within a couple of hours, but he wished they could just talk all day. He ate slowly, barely tasting the food, allowing his thoughts to collect into a cesspool of self-deprivation.

"She'll never love you Kurt. She probably laughs at you behind your back. Probably tells her friends all about the weirdo who eats like a pig. The funny freak who drools over pancakes."

Kurt felt the voice within him again. That unknown, venomous voice.

"Look at all these people around you. Just look. See how normal they are. Now look at you. Not the lie. The real you . . . You see? You're a wolf in sheep's clothing. You don't belong here amongst these people. Hell, you don't belong anywhere. Or . . . Well! Hell, maybe that's the one place you do belong!"

Suddenly Kurt lost his appetite. He knew he'd be hungry later, but he couldn't continue. Whatever contentment he had found since coming into the diner was now gone.

Sighing he got up, leaving a generous tip for Sophia, and went to go pay for his meal.

Kurt plodded back through the snow outside, leaving the warmth of the diner behind him. He was still early for any of his classes at the University, with the time usually spent enjoying breakfast now ruined, so he decided to take a walk, hoping he could clear his head.

He was starting to feel concerned with the "otherness" of the thoughts he sometimes had. He knew it was unhealthy to wallow in the mire of his unhappiness, but he was simply to depressed to care. He becoming almost apathetic.

"Pathetic is more like it . . ."

"Shut up..." Kurt gritted between his teeth, silencing the hate filled voice.

He pressed on, taking his time, feeling more depressed with each step. Looking at his surroundings as he passed by, there were reminders everywhere of his unbelonging. Posters hung on storefronts, urging citizens to report any mutant activity. Surveillance equipment hung in places, unnoticeable to most, but unavoidable all the same.

Trudging through the streets, Kurt felt as though the whole city were against him.


So, there you go, my first chapter, and first foray into the world of writing.

I really hope i didn't screw up the dialogue, i'm still new to this, and i hope it didn't come across as really weird.

And it's clearly AU, Kurt hasn't yet had direct contact with the X-Men, so he's basically on his own (Except for Adam. Who is an OC by the way.).

Once again, this is my first time writing! So i would really love some feedback, and maybe some pointers too. I've really no idea if anyone is even interested in fanfics of this show anymore, i think it's been a decade since it last aired, so. . .

Things will be moving forward a bit in the second chapter, as this chapter serves as a kind of sloggy introduction to the world, but I've got a lot in store for dear Nightcrawler, and some familiar faces will show up later on. :)