Omni Part 1: Discovery

Disclaimer: Les Miserables, Phantom, Cats, they all belong to their respective geniuses. All X Men belong to Marvel and ITS geniuses.

Author's Note: You're going to need this. ^_^ I am very fond of alternate dimensions. According to my brother, I grew up in one, but that's beside the point. This story/series takes place. elsewhere. In a dimension where the X Men exist only as comic books and fanfiction like this. Or so the 'normal' people think. There are mutants out there; the comic books are a way of introducing the idea to society. It came to me in a dream. Seriously. The ages and some personalities are messed up and the Brotherhood is Evolution version ('cause they're so cute and lovable and they need mommies!!!! Erg. I said that. Erg. Lance, Pietro, Freddy, and Todd. Mystique is normal Mystique, meaning, how =I= think her character should be.) Sabretooth and Magneto are movie-version. Pyro's gonna pop up eventually. Dunno when. I don't really know much about him, 'cept that he's really neato wowee and. AUSTRALIAN!!! ^_^ So I'll be writing him the way I think he should be written. Ages.

Devon/Omni: 15

Chase: 16

Remy/Gambit: 16

Kurt/Nightcrawler: 16

Peter/Colossus: 18

Jono/Chamber: 16

Scott/Cyclops: 19

Jean/Phoenix: 18

Professor X: Urg. I don't wanna know

Magneto: See. Above.

Creed/Sabretooth: Erm.. No earthly idea. I just hope the years stop adding soon.

Logan/Wolverine: They keep comin'! No idea!

Mystique: She's blue. I dunno. Looks about 30?

Pietro/Quicksilver: 17

Lance/Avalanche: 18

Fred/Blob: 16

Todd/Toad: 14

John/Pyro: 17

Aidan: 16

Michael: 17

=ITALICS=

*thinking*

~telepathy~

If I butcher anyone's accent, I'M SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And without further ado. Omni!!!



A tall girl with straight black hair hanging to the middle of her back and stunningly green eyes burst from the house, heading for the school. She wore all black, black tank top covered with a black leather jacket, black jeans, and black combat boots. It wasn't really her house, more like a long-term hotel, where the board fee was beatings. Devon knew her the people owning the house were not her real parents. In fact, they beat this fact into her daily. She stopped at the park, rolling up her shirtsleeves to check the damage. Large, livid purple-black dots scattered her arm, and she was sure there were the same on her legs and the rest of her body, but this was nothing new. Deftly, she tucked a few loose strands of hair into her long ponytail and started out again. Devon enjoyed the rhythmic sounds her shoes made as they slapped the pavement. It drew her mind from thoughts of nights spent in a heat-less room with threadbare sheets and a sagging mattress. Drew her mind from school, where drugs were pressed on her. Drew her mind from the future, which she knew deep inside, in a terrible dark place, held nothing but a bleak life. Classes in school helped sometimes too. It was good to pretend that if she got a good enough education, she could escape a future filled with a womanizing, backwoods hick, who expected only a half-clean house with the blinds eternally closed, and six odd children to complain about.

"Not happening. I won't. I'll die before I become =that=," she muttered to herself while running. She turned onto the street the school resided. The dilapidated old building came into view, set in a swatch of cleared land inserted into the thick woods. Devon slowed her pace as she came into the parking lot, carefully avoiding the zooming cars speeding around, the skateboarders who liked nothing better than to startle an unwary pedestrian, and the crackheads, perpetually searching for new customers.

Instinctively, Devon turned her head to check Chase's parking space, to see if he was there. She shook her head slightly. *Of course not*, she scolded herself. *He's been gone over a month, he isn't at his parents' house, he hasn't stopped by, must've gotten out somehow. Smart of him.*

Two months ago, Devon wouldn't have even attempted to enter the school building without Chase by her side, watching out for each other. Since he had left, she had had to toughen up, realizing how much she had relied on him.

She walked through the doors and headed to her first class. Suddenly, a hand clamped onto the back of her neck, swinging her around. Another grabbed her wrist. Devon found herself facing one of the high school's biggest crack-sellers, who was both bigger and stronger than her. She sighed, trying to put on a nonchalant façade. It was times like this that made her =really= miss Chase.

"What do you want, Michael?" Devon asked tiredly. Michael spun her around again, holding onto her wrist and twisting it up behind her back.

"You owe me money, bitch," he said, his voice haggard.

"I owe you nothing. Just because I didn't buy any of your shit doesn't mean I owe you a =thing=," Devon growled.

"You just wait, I'm gonna get you after school-"

"Is something the matter here?" an authorities voice asked from behind Devon and Michael, who promptly dropped her.

"No," he said, surly, and stalked away, snarling, "After school," into Devon's ear as he passed her.

"Are you alright?" the teacher asked.

"Fine. Just fine." Devon strode to her first class.



The last bell rang. The halls of the school filled with the usual hordes, all laughing, joking.

Devon wove her way through it all and out of the school. She walked towards the park, as was her habit. She would complete her home there, write her stories, and head to her house when it grew too dark and cold to write. Once at her house, she would sneak into the kitchen and grab some dinner, unless =they= were in there. If they were, Devon would go hungry for the night.

Devon walked along the tree line of the forest until she reached the path that led, eventually, to the park. The forest was vast, several miles of dense undergrowth, streams, and thick trees spanning in all direction. The trails through the woods were uncountable and incredibly confusing. Only a few people could find their way around in there, Devon and Chase being two. They had explored the place when they were younger.

Heavy footsteps echoed her own. Turning, Devon saw that it was Michael. He caught up and shoved her into the half-collapsed old brick wall bordering one part of the path.

"You owe me."

"Is that all you can say?" Devon kept walking.

He shoved her again. "Come on, hit me back."

"I'm sorry, truly I am, but I generally shy away from touching bacteria." She didn't turn again, but quickened her pace. She heard Michael fall into step behind her. Another set of footfalls joined his. Then one trail faded quickly away. Now Devon spun around.

Standing on the trail was a tall boy with muddy brown hair cut to his ears raggedly. His blue-gray eyes matched his gray tank top and cargo pants. He wore a gray windbreaker as well. He was lean, but well built. He was smiling.

"Chase. Where've you been?" Devon said, slightly amazed.

"He was going to hit you with that." Chase pointed at a brick lying on the path between them.

"Shit..." Devon said, just standing there for a moment. Then she repeated herself. "Where've you been, Chase?"

Chase only grinned again and slipped off the trail and into the woods. Devon tried to go after him, but he had grown up hiding in the forest and moved without a track.

"Damn it," Devon muttered. *He always could move faster than me...*

From his post on a tree branch, Aidan watched as Devon made her way to the park.



Days became monotonous once again. Michael avoided her from then on, never making eye contact with Devon or coming within ten feet of her anywhere.

In gym that day, the class was playing hockey. Devon was rather good at hockey, viewing it as control practice for staff fighting. She was chasing the puck when Michael, who shared her gym class, swung his stick up towards her face. She jumped back quickly enough that it didn't hit her, but she saw the fleeting triumphant smile on his countenance as he faced her. Unthinkingly, Devon reached her hand in front of her, palm facing outward at Michael. He flew back five feet and skidded into a wall. Devon stared at her hand. The hockey game battled around her viscously. The puck flew at her face and she held out her hand again. It flew away, landing near Michael, who sat stunned on the floor.

This time, the other students had noticed. They stared open mouth at Devon. The room was alive with half concealed whispers. Devon still stared at her hands. Unnoticed, Michael had gotten to his feet and ran at Devon. She threw her hands up one more time and he was again deflected. Devon turned and ran. She didn't notice Aidan running after her, didn't feel when he grabbed her shirt, trying to stop her, nor did she perceive him falling as he tripped.

She shoved open the gym's double doors, flew through the cafeteria where some teachers were talking. They noticed her running and yelled for her to stop. She put her hand up and the chairs they were sitting on flew away. Devon kept running. She burst out of the school building, sprinting down street after street mindlessly. She was aware suddenly, that two police cars were following her. She turned and held her hand out. The cars didn't move. Devon kept running. A third car pulled in front of her, cutting her off. Policemen leapt from the cars with their guns drawn. Devon froze.

"Don't move! Don't move!"

The sheer idiocy of the command prompted Devon's traitorous mouth to yell, "Well screw that!" Devon took off into the woods, diving into a thorn patch and covering her face with one arm. She pushed through the patch and thrust her way deeper into the woods. About twenty feet in, she leapt up, grabbing a tree branch and pulling herself up. She heard the policemen thrashing around in the fringes. After a few minutes, she heard them retreat and their cars driving away. Devon stayed in the tree another few minutes until she dropped to the ground.

"Where am I?" she mused quietly. She didn't know where she had been when she had first run into the woods. She strained her ears and heard a stream bubbling nearby. Following the sound, Devon found a small brook and nearby, a path. Devon followed the path a while, trying not to think about what she had done back at the school.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a boy stepped onto the trail, followed by four others. The first boy was tall with long brown hair, another tall with spiky, white hair, another very large with a blond mohawk, a fourth was short with ragged brown hair, and the last was tall and had long blond hair in a ponytail. Devon stopped and stepped back.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked sharply.

"My name's Lance, or Avalanche."

The blond kid smacked Lance. "And we're the Brady Bunch, are we then?"

Lance flinched. "And this's John, also known as Pyro, Pietro, aka Quicksilver-"

"The coolest guy in the Brotherhood," Pietro added. Suddenly, he was at Devon's side, his hand stuck out. Devon stared at him. John pulled him back.

"Please 'scuse me mate Pietro, there. He gets a bit ambitious sometimes."

"Sure..." Devon said.

"I'll ignore my teammate's rudeness. This is Freddy, aka Blob and this is Todd, aka Toad." Lance finished talking and glared at Pietro.

"And I am Mystique." A woman stepped onto the path, wearing a white dress. She had blue skin.

"What do you want?" Devon asked, taking another step back and trying to ignore the woman's blue skin.

"You are a mutant, like us. You will join the Brotherhood and fight for a better world for our kind-"

Devon cut her off, shaking her head. "No. I'm staying here. I make my =own= decisions."

"I'm afraid you don't have that liberty. Boys?" Mystique motioned toward Devon. Pyro clicked a lighter and stared at the flames for a minute. He dropped the lighter and the flames grew larger in his gaze. Devon stood transfixed. The flames grew into a wall and moved toward Devon. Before she could react, she was surrounded. To her surprise, Devon found she could sense the flames and before she knew it, they were dancing away from her, shrinking down...

"What the-?" Pyro said. Devon felt the flames fighting her. *No,* she told them, *Listen to me...* But they wouldn't and soon began slowly increasing.

Pietro was at her side again. He grabbed her arms from behind and yelled, "Toad!" The smallest boy leapt over. "Sorry," Quicksilver whispered into her ear, as Todd reared up and kicked Devon in the head.

*Oh shit*



Devon came to on a waterfall. A tiny stream trickled over the edge to splash near silent into a pool below. The forest surrounded the waterfall, thick, and there was no sign of any paths. Devon couldn't see anyone around.

"Hello?" she called.

Chase's head popped up from the edge of the waterfall. "Oh good. You're awake."

Devon grabbed her treacherous hand. *Oh God. I almost blew away Chase...* She stood up. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he said, hoisting himself up onto the top and standing. "I found you yesterday afternoon on a trail. You were unconscious. Why?"

"You... Might want to sit down."

Chase shrugged and sat. Devon did the same.

"I was in gym today, playing hockey. Michael tried the hit me in the face with his stick. I held out my hand and... He just flew back. I didn't even touch him. Then the puck was going to hit me in the face and I made it fly away too. Michael tried to hit me again, but I held up my hand and... And then I ran. I got out of the school, the cops were chasing me, but I ran into the woods and hid in a tree. They gave up. Then... You won't believe me." Devon stopped and put her head in her hands.

"Says who? Tell me," Chase said kindly.

Devon took a deep breath and continued. "I found a trail and was walking when these guys just stepped on it in front of me. They said... They said their names were Avalanche, Quicksilver, Pyro, Toad, and Blob. Then... Then =Mystique= came onto the path and said she wanted me to join... to join the Brotherhood, because I'm a mutant. I told her no and Pyro made this wall of flames and I looked at him while he was doing it and I felt like I could too. So I started to fight the fire but he was stronger. Then Quicksilver grabbed my arms and said he was sorry and Toad kicked me in the head. I.... I blacked out. But... they said that I didn't have a choice and that I was going to join them anyway. Why did they leave me?" Devon finished and drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them, her hair mostly loose from the ponytail shading her face. She laughed bitterly. "You probably don't believe me anyway."

He thought a moment, then looked at Devon. "Show me."

"Do you have a lighter or matches?" she asked.

Chase dug in his pocket and produced a silver lighter. "Here," he said, reaching toward Devon with the lighter in his palm. Devon stared at his palm. The lighter lifted into the air and floated to Devon. She grabbed it out of the air and flicked it open, flaming it. She stared at the flames and dropped the light. The flames stayed in the air. They shaped themselves into a bird form, wings outstretched.

The bushes rustled on one side of the waterfall. Devon and Chase looked up and the fire-bird disappeared. Chase jumped to his feet and plunged into the forest. Devon followed, right on his heels.

"Damn it!" Chase cursed.

"Did you see them? Who was it?"

"=No=. They were too fast. Damn it, damn it, damn it!" They turned around and walked back to the waterfall.

"They moved well. There's only a few people who know the woods well enough to move like that," Devon pointed out.

"Yeah, you, me, Aidan, Tallas, and Walker. How would they know about this place?"

Devon shrugged. "They saw me use my...powers, I guess they're called." She hesitated. "Chase, what's going on?"

He threw his hands up. "I have an explanation, but it's crazy as all hell."

"That's more than I have."

Chase took a deep breath. "I have a title for you. X Men."

Devon stared at him. "Oh no. No, no, no. You've got to be crazy, no way-"

"Well what other explanation is there?" Chase interrupted. "Quicksilver, Mystique, Pyro, Blob, Toad? Maybe not the X Men, but the Brotherhood! Maybe the comics are true, people just won't accept it!"

"Then... Then I really =am= a mutant..."

"Yeah... But if your newly acquired flame-power is any indication, I think I know what your mutation is."

"What then?"

"You said you saw Pyro play with fire, then you could do it too?"

"Yes. But he was stronger than me."

"I think you see a power and mimic it. I wonder if you can do more than one..." Chase thought. He looked excited and dreamy. Devon was just scared and angry.

"Well, it's all well and good for you to sit here and talk about it, but =I'm= the one who's getting attacked! They knocked me out, in case you've forgotten!" Devon yelled, standing.

"Fine, fine! Cool it and sit. Do you want people to know =exactly= where we are?" Chase asked, pulling Devon down by her arm.

"No.... Where =are= we?" she asked, sitting.

"Somewhere in the middle of the woods. That way," he pointed to the south, "leads to the park after a few miles. That way," pointing to the north, "is the school. And to the east and west are highways." He finished and lay back.

"Why'd you come here?"

"Couldn't take it anymore. I'm already ready for college. My parents just won't let me go." This was true. He was only sixteen, but had been a senior and making straight A's. "I figured I'd learned all I needed to know. So I came out here."

"You always loved the woods. You like this better?"

"Yeah. It's a lot quieter. More peaceful. I've got traps and stuff set up. I fish and there're some nets downstream a little way."

"And you learned how to be mountain-man-Chase where?"

Chase smiled. "The great source of all knowledge: the Internet."

Devon laughed. "So you've just been living off of what you can catch?"

He nodded. "It's amazing what you can do with matches and a few lengths of wire. Actually, I found you when I was checking my traps. We should probably check and see if anything's been caught. You aren't going to go all 'ick' on me if you see me skin a dead rabbit or something, are you?" Chase looked at her.

Devon snorted. "=No=. But kill a snake and die..."

Chase grinned. "Never."



The sky had grown dark and the air cold, but the small, sheltered fire in the hollow of a boulder kept Devon and Chase warm. They hadn't bothered catching up on the past two months, besides Chase telling Devon some tricks to living in the woods. Family and school weren't worth reliving for telling.

"So..." Devon started awkwardly after a few minutes silence. "What do you think is going to happen now?"

"With the... the mutant thing?" Chase sighed. "I don't know. Why don't we just live and wait for them to make the next move. We'll react then. We can work on our staff fighting, daggers, throwing knives... I don't know..."

"Alright. I just know-" Devon's voice caught. "I'm just glad I'm not back at my house. Don't want to know what those people would do."

"Yeah. It's nice here. Nobody comes around to bother you. Nobody knows where this place is."

"Except whoever was here earlier. What are we going to do about that?" Devon worried.

"Stay ready, I guess. I don't have all the answers. Hell, I don't have =any= answers. But I'm tired. I haven't had a good night's sleep since- "

"Since you were born."

Chase smiled, the flames casting dancing patterns across his face. "Right. Sleep." He got up and moved ten feet away on the waterfall, taking two blankets with him and leaving four for Devon by the fire. Devon smiled and tossed two of her blankets at him, quickly lying down again, back to him. When the blankets were not tossed back, she closed her eyes and slept.



When Devon woke up, all the blankets were piled on her and Chase was gone. She smiled to herself. *Always the gentleman.* The fire had gone out and it was a little cold, being January. Even winter in Texas get cold sometimes.

"Morning!" Chase said, dropping out of the trees.

Devon jumped. "Don't do that!" she yelled, again holding back her hand. It was as if some new instinct had kicked in and she had been blowing things away since she was a kid.

"Sorry. How are you?"

"Good... Where'd you go?"

Chase walked over and sat next to her. "I was checking the traps. Nothing yet."

Devon sighed.

"It really isn't =that= boring. There're caves down there," he said quickly, pointing to the edge of the small waterfall.

"Caves? Seriously? Show me!" Devon said excitedly, standing.

Chase grinned and led her down the waterfall.



Three months passed and soon it was April. It was morning at the waterfall. Chase was down in the caves and Devon was up top, getting the fire started for breakfast. She was singing softly to herself a song from Les Miserables, I Dreamed A Dream. Something rustled nearby. She looked up, frowning. The noise stopped and, seeing nothing, Devon looked back down at the fire. The brush outside the campsite rustled again and Devon got up to check it. She walked into the forest thirty yards and found no sign of anyone having been there. Shaking her head, she worked her way back to the campsite. A strangled yelp sounded form the waterfall. "Chase?!" Devon yelled, thrusting her hand forward. The saplings, vines, and bushes blocking her path were driven aside. "Chase!"

He was on the waterfall, a foreign hand around his throat and an arm around his waist. His eyes were wide in surprise. "Devon, =run=!"

"What the hell do you want?" Devon, ignoring Chase, snarled at Quicksilver, who grinned apologetically.

"Look up," he told her. Devon complied and unconsciously stepped back.

"Oh my God."

Magneto, in his unmistakable purple and red, was floating above her.

"So you are the new mutant." He landed in front of Devon and stepped forward. Devon stepped back. "No need to be afraid of me."

"What? You've got my friend by the throat! What're you talking about?!?" Devon yelled, suddenly angry. "What the hell do you want? All I've done is try to live normally and you have to come screwing everything up!" She whirled to Chase, still held by Quicksilver. "Let him =go=, damn it!"

"Sorry, no can do."

"Look, you people already tried this. I =don't= want to join up with any damn Brotherhood!"

"The Brotherhood? I have no more control over that silly group, nor do I want any. I am constructing a new team, and with someone as potentially powerful as you on it, I could finally defeat Charles," Magneto said.

"Yeah, I know the drill. And the answer is =no=. Now let him =go=!" Devon yelled, turning again to shove Quicksilver. But the youth was gone. Chase had crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath. Quicksilver tapped Devon on the shoulder.

"Looking for me?"

"Damn it!" She reached out with her arm to shove him mentally, but he had moved again. Devon gave up and went to Chase, helping him to stand. In another moment, they were knocked to the ground again. Chase did not get up. Magneto stood at the edge of the clearing, watching Devon try to wake Chase. Quicksilver ran to him saying, "Can I go now?" and looking distastefully at the scene he had created.

"No. It isn't over yet."

*He's still breathing. If they kill him... I'll-* With a cry of pure rage, Devon shot at Magneto, throwing all of her power at him. Rocks, fallen branches, even the water from the stream responded to her half- unconscious telekinetic call. Magneto stumbled and nearly fell under the raging girl's attack. He managed to signal Quicksilver, who grabbed Devon's flailing arms and held them behind her back while she struggled to get loose. Magneto touched the back of her thrashing head, causing a blood clot to form. She screamed a final time then fell silent, body hanging loosely in Quicksilver's arms. Magneto fixed the clot.

"Come on," he said, sighing.

"But she doesn't want to join us," his son protested. He slung Devon's limp body over his shoulders anyway.

"That can be settled."

"What about him?" Quicksilver asked, gesturing toward Chase.

"Leave him. He is no use to us."

A blast of red knocked Magneto off the cliff edge suddenly. A burst of brimstone and a blow to the head and Quicksilver dropped. Devon fell from his shoulder. She moaned lowly, the scent of brimstone wakening her. She sat up slowly to a group of people surrounding her, unlike anyone she had ever seen before. *In 3-D at least...*

Nightcrawler, Colossus, Gambit, Cyclops, Phoenix, Wolverine, and Chamber stood around Devon. For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Devon muttered, "Oh my God..."

"Look, we aren't going to hurt you, but Magneto might wake up-" Phoenix started, but Devon had bolted to Chase. She looked at Cyclops, who shrugged and followed.

Chase was beginning to wake. Devon shook him gently. "Chase. We... have a problem."

"Oh shit," he said when he saw the X Men assembled on the waterfall.

"I know."



~*~*~Okay, it's half as long as my original Omni Part 1, but I like this better anyway. Please review!!!! I need to know if I should keep writing this!

Eponine