A/N: I make no profit from this nor do I own any of the characters.


Chapter 1: Vapor Trail

The blond ducked into his room through the window. The tree was directly beside his window in the apartment complex he and his father lived in. If he wanted to avoid his old man, then going in through the window was really the only option and avoiding using the front door at any cost was top priority.

He'd only go out of his room to get himself some food from the fridge, if there was any left, when he was sure his old man was passed out or too drunk to care. It was only when his old man was sober that he really had to worry; since it was when he was sober that his old man remembered that he actually had a son.

Very unfortunate for Joey indeed.

He couldn't tell his friends because honestly; who believe him? People tended to ignore things despite the evidence being right there in front of them. He tried to use his Know-It-All ability-as he called it-to try and figure out a solution that would make people believe him, but he always had to stop short of any definitive solutions he could come up with before he got sick.

His powers were cool, but had their drawbacks. Whenever he tried to know too much, he always get violently sick and throw up. So he had learned early on to keep himself from trying to know, well, everything. He didn't want to die after all.

But this particularly smarty-smart ability told him that his other power was tied directly to his emotions; hence why the lights would always act so bizarre-he was controlling them. Unknowingly of course, but still, it was so awesome!

Joey had been a rather precocious 13 year old when he had finally learned what he was. He had been testing out his Know-It-All power by asking himself if there was a term for people like him, people with powers that is, and the answer he got was the word 'mutant.'

He had heard the term thrown around in his classes; most of the stuff he bothered to listen to made him hate being human.

Joey had known that the Domino district of New York didn't get a lot of superhero action, but after learning he was a mutant, he had looked up anything he could on mutants via the Internet; he didn't want to stress his Know-It-All ability unless he absolutely had too. The information had been fascinating to him though, and he absorbed it like a sponge.

Joey had suspected that a side effect of his Know-It-All power was being able to have better understanding of things than most people, hence why he saw all the articles with malicious undertones to be bigoted and slanderous. He had to calm himself down before when the computer screen he was at in the library began to waver and flicker. He had been getting angry at the time and didn't want anyone to see or question what he was doing.

Even now as Joey put his backpack down and sat down on the edge of his bed he still couldn't understand why people hated mutants so much. Sure, he had read the Internet reports of rampant mutants, but did the actions of a few stereotype mutants as a whole? Then again, many countries he knew from his history class or social government class exhibited the same thing.

The actions of a few condemn the country as a whole.

Joey though supposed he should know the 'why' to his earlier thesis. People fear what they don't understand. It was simple as that; and Joey hated it. Yes, he knew that concept had been ingrained into human beings since they could understand the world around them. His fingers twitched and he took out his notebook, and simply wrote.


Joey took a sip from the class of soda as he observed his little 13 year old sister reading over his 'article.' They were both dressed in warmer wear because of the chilly November air and had met up in a diner near her house. Joey didn't mind the long walk, anything to get him out of the apartment; and really, his sister was the only person in his 'family' he'd be willing to walk a mile for.

Figuratively, but literally too if need be.

"So?" he prompted when he saw her eyes widened behind her glasses. A stab of guilt shot through him. His sister's growing blindness was another he hadn't seen coming, but he beat back the guilt. It'd be hypocritical of him to start blaming himself for something like this after giving his father-figure a speech that what had happened to…them hadn't been his fault. Joey's eyes darkened, but calmed himself before the lights could start flickering.

He was sure though if the opportunity to get revenge presented itself, he'd take it. And he was sure his father-figure would too.

"So?" Joey prompted again after taking another sip of his cola.

Serenity pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "This is good." She sounded awed. Joey felt mildly insulted…at least until she said her next words. "You're a very good writer. This article brings up some good points." Now she looked confused. "But why'd you want me to read it?"

"'Cause I want your school's newspaper editor to publish it. Me remaining anonymous of course." Joey replied casually.

"Don't you have a newspaper too though at your school, so why don't you give it to your editor?" Serenity questioned gently.

Joey didn't pause. "I can't. I got suspended for fightin' in school for sticking up for my friend."

"Why would they suspend you for sticking up for your friend?" Serenity asked confused.

Joey smiled coldly. "'Cause the principal wouldn't let me explain; and I learned a long time ago that people wouldn't believe the word of a punk." He said darkly.

Serenity frowned. "But you're not a punk, you're very smart; I've seen the report cards you show me." She replied. "Why would they think you're a punk?"

Joey took another sip of his cola before putting the glass down. "Ren, there's two things about human nature I'm sure of, one; people see what you want them to see. And two; they ignore things that they don't want to see."

Joey knew his sister was also smart and he could practically see the cogs working in her head to figure out what he meant.

"So," Serenity started off slowly, "you act like a punk for show, but you're not actually one?"

"And?" Joey added.

Serenity's brow furrowed up a little. "They can't accept it if you differentiate from what they expect of you."

Joey smiled again, this time it was warm; the kind of smile he reserved for his sister and…the kids he used to babysit. It faltered for a second, but wasn't noticeable. "You're right on the mark both times, Ren." He said sadly. "But I'm sure now you can see why I want you to give that to your editor." He paused before moving to stand. "Whatever reason you come up with will likely be right."

"If this gets published, do you want a copy?" Serenity questioned.

Joey gave it some thought. He hadn't written it to get attention (that was why he had asked his sister to say it was anonymous); he had written it to get some points across. And it was also the reason he hadn't tried to get it published in a 'real' newspaper. He knew it'd probably get crumpled up and tossed away, but if he could sway at least one person (Serenity didn't count unfortunately) to see how unfair people were to mutants, he'd be fine with it.

"No, I don't want an article." He finally answered as he paid their bill and walked his sister out of the diner.

Once they were away from any listening ears, Serenity asked, "Are you a mutant, Joey?"

Joey raised a brow in response. "If I say yes, will it change your opinion of me?"

Serenity shook her head. "No, I promise it won't. To me, you'll always be Joey."

Feeling better than he had in a while, Joey nodded. "Then I am."


It was two days before Joey's article ended up being published in the middle school newspaper. Serenity felt proud of her brother, but she had to keep her answers neutral if anyone asked her on her own opinion of the article.

She was fairly sure though that the reason all the newspapers had been 'sold out' was because everyone was reading that article or heard about it and needed for read it for themselves. She didn't blame them, her brother had made some very good points, and like he said; people see what you want them to see. She was curious though about what his power was. It had to be cool though, she'd be shocked though if his power wasn't.

Unbeknownst to her or her brother was the ripple effect that one particular article was going to have.