Regina: I would just like to dedicate this chapter to all of my future pets: my cats, Bastet and Schroedinger; my rat, Splinter; my four turtles, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael; and my paper shredder.

And this is also for A Pyro's Rage: thank you for your comment on Lance's description of Sabertooth (what, did you think he could come up with something better than 'a big cat guy'? That's how I would have done it!), and for a name for Jas to call Pietro.

Cat Fight

Chapter Three: A Cat's Senses

"Jas, I was just wondering, yo, what're you gonna do about clothes?"

"Elementary, my dear Toad. Change them every day."

Pietro snorted. "Into what? You've only got the clothes you're wearing now."

Jas looked down at herself. She was wearing the same blue jeans, sneakers and white T-shirt she had been wearing when she had reverted back to human form (luckily, when she transformed from human to cat, and vice-versa, her clothes shifted with her. A very useful thing in a house full of teenage boys, she had thought). Then she looked up again. "What makes you think these are the only clothes I have with me? I brought a few changes with me."

"And where are they?" asked Pietro, not quite convinced.

"I hid them out back. Want me to go get them?"

"Nah, I'll go get them," replied Pietro.

Jas made a face. "Do you want me to tell you where they are?"

"Nah, don't think so." In a blur of silver he was gone, to return in a few seconds, a duffel bag in his arms. "This yours?" he asked, tossing the bag in front of Jas.

"Thanks," Jas replied dully, before bending down to rummage through the bag, pulling out random articles, before replacing them. Finally she stood up. "Well, it looks as if I'm all ready for school tomorrow. How 'bout you guys?"

None of the Brotherhood members made much effort to reply.

"Fine then," said Jas, sounding slightly miffed. "I'm going to go get ready for school. I'm using the shower, so don't bother coming near it. I'm talking to you, Pietro."

"Whatever."

As Jas walked up the stairs on her way to get ready, Lance followed her with his eyes.

When he was sure she was out of sight and earshot, he said to the other members of the Brotherhood, "Tomorrow is going to be interesting."

Everyone agreed.

"Well, it seems everything is in order, Ms. . . I'm sorry, I never caught your last name."

"It's Howard. Jaspet Howard, Principal Kelly."

"Yes," said Kelly, looking over the paperwork handed to him. "Jaspet. An unusual name."

Jas laughed. "The family cat died three weeks before I was born. My mother was convinced that it was a sign, and named me after the cat." Jas shrugged. "It could have been worse. She could have called me Puss, or something."

"You would have been in good company," replied Kelly, still reading the file. "A student here is called Kitty."

"For real?" asked Jas, surprised.

"Her real name is Katherine, but everyone calls her Kitty." Kelly closed the folder. "Well, we'll just have to wait until your record arrives from your previous school -" Jas went to speak, but Kelly stopped her. "Yes, I know that there may be some problem with that. Your parents' letter explains all that. And I know about your situation."

"My - situation?"

"Yes. Your parents are away on business, and regret that they cannot be with you to help you move into your new house, but say that they have left you in the care of a friend, who will take responsibility for you until they return."

"Oh, thank you for being so understanding. I didn't want to have any problems. I just wanted to start school right away without any problems. Thank you again, Principal Kelly," said Jas, getting up from her chair and picking up the backpack she had found while rummaging around the Brotherhood's house.

Suddenly Jas' ears twitched, and the door opened up. A red-headed girl was standing there in the door. "You wanted to see me, Principal Kelly?" she asked.

"Yes, Ms Grey. This is Jaspet Howard, a transfer student. Ms Howard, this is Jean Grey, the star of our soccer team, and one of our top students. Ms Grey, could you be so kind as to show Ms Howard around on her first day? Thank you."

"Of course, Principal Kelly. Come on, Jaspet."

Jas followed Jean out the door, feeling slightly confused. She had thought it would be hard to get past Principal Kelly, yet, thanks to her, she had waltzed right in.

Everything was going perfect.

"She's good," Jas muttered to herself. "Very good."

"So where did you transfer from?" asked Jean, as she and Jas walked along the corridor on Jas' tour of the school.

"Oh, here and there," said Jas vaguely. "We move around a lot, my parents and me. We were last in Boston, before we came here."

"Boston? Sounds nice."

"Yes, it was. I hope Bayville is as nice." Inwardly, Jas grinned. This was one show she was putting on for this Jean Grey.

"Me too," Jean said sincerely. Suddenly, she stopped. "Okay, here is your locker. My friend Kitty's is just a few lockers down. I'll introduce you if you want."

"Thanks," said Jas, before opening the locker, using the combination that Kelly had given her, and throwing a few of her things inside. Then she pulled out her timetable.

And frowned.

"Confused?" asked Jean. "Let me take a look." Silently, Jas handed the piece of paper over.

Jean nodded. "You've got some good teachers here. You're in Kitty's computer science class after lunch. I'll definitely intro-" Jean was cut off by the sound of the bell. "It's lunch now," she said. "Do you want to eat with me and my friends?"

"Sure." Jas' voice was almost too cheerful. "That would be great."

"Okay, then, follow me."

Jas followed Jean as students began filing out of classrooms. One of them was Lance, who watched her, almost slightly amused as she followed Jean like a puppy. Or a kitten.

Catching his glance, Jas stuck a finger down her throat, and made a silent gagging motion.

Lance laughed.

"Everyone, this is Jaspet," announced Jean as she and Jas arrived at the X- Men's usual table. "She's new here."

"Hi," Jas said shyly.

Kurt moved over to make room for the two of them. At Jean's urging, Jas sat directly next to Kurt. It was out of instinct more than anything that made Jas extend the claws on her right hand. There was something not quite right about Kurt, she could sense it. She had felt the same way about Jean, but whatever it was she was picking up from Kurt was much, much stronger.

Luckily for Jas, her right hand had been in her pocket when she had extended her claws, otherwise the game would have been over right then and there.

Jas tried to ignore what she was picking up - was it her imagination, or did the guy next to her smell like sulfur? - and listened to Jean as she was making her introductions.

"That's Kurt," she said, referring to sulfur-guy, "Evan and Scott are over there, that's Kitty - the girl I was telling you about - and that's Rogue."

"Hi," Jas repeated. Her senses were working overtime, picking up on that strange - yet familiar - thing that Kurt and the others seemed to giving off.

Familiar.

Now that was a thought.

The Brotherhood gave her the same sort of feelings. Todd especially.

Jean and the others were mutants!

Lance and Todd had told her that there were other mutants at Bayville High - called the X-Men - but not mentioned exactly who they were. Pietro said it should be a surprise - as it was that way for them.

Were these the X-Men?

"So, Jaspet," asked the girl called Kitty. "Where abouts in Bayville do you live? Jean said that you're new here, from Boston."

Kitty's question dragged Jas from her thoughts. "Nowhere special. A house. You know, four walls, a roof. Nothing too amazing. And you can call me Jas. What about you?"

"Did you see that big building on top of the hill?" asked Evan. "We live there."

"'We'?" asked Jas "You all live - together?"

All of them nodded. "We live up at the Xavier Institute," explained Rogue.

"It's like a boarding house," added Kitty. "Most of live a long way from Bayville."

"Ja," interrupted Kurt. "I'm from Germany."

Just then the bell sounded. Had it all gone so fast?

"Come on," said Kitty, getting up from her seat. "We, like, don't want to be late for class."

It turned out Kitty was quite nice - a little too 'Clueless' for Jas' taste - but still nice.

So nice, in fact, that Jas found herself talking to Kitty as they left the school building at the end of the day.

"So how are you getting home?" asked Jas

"Scott'll give me a lift," Kitty replied. "How 'bout you?"

Jas was about to reply, when she saw Lance waving from his jeep. Todd, Pietro and Freddy were with him. "Hey!" he called.

Jas followed Kitty, who walked up to the jeep. "Hey, Lance," she said, smiling at the older teen.

"Hey. You ready to go?" he asked.

"Go where?" asked Kitty.

"He wasn't talking to you, yo," interrupted Todd.

"Then who?" asked Kitty, confused.

"The other cat," replied Pietro, looking annoyed. "You ready to go?"

"Hold your horses, Mr Quickie," said Jas. Turning to a very confused Kitty, Jas said, "Looks like my ride's here. See you tomorrow, Kitty."

With that, Jas got into the jeep, sitting between Freddy and Todd, and waved goodbye. With a roar, the jeep drove off.

Leaving a very confused Kitty in its dust.