A/N: this story is the sequel to Through a Child's Eyes. It is pretty much essential to read Through a Child's Eyes in order to understand the characters and what's going on in this one. To find it, click on my username then 'Stories Authored'. But hey, you all knew that anyway, right? :-)

A/N 2: the first chapter will introduce the characters a little for those of you who can't be bothered reading the first story. The second chapter will be a prologue, written in 3rd person. The main story starts in chapter 3, written in 1st person.

A/N 3: this story will contain X2 spoilers, such as the fact that…oh yeah oops.

INTRODUCTION TO MAIN CHARACTERS:

OCULUS

Real name: Neil Rosiçky

Age: 17

Mutant abilities: Telescopic eyesight; X-ray vision; telepathy; telekinesis; berserk attack

History: Born an ordinary human, as a new-born baby Neil was subjected to mutation implant treatment by a ruthless geneticist. As a result he possesses a number of different gifts, and may have more that are still hidden. Neil first discovered his abilities by accident as a pre-teen, and since then has been an outcast from human society. A calm and reasonable person, Neil acknowledges that humanity's fear of mutants is based merely on ignorance and prejudice, and has vowed to bridge the gap between the two. Towards that end, he has joined Professor Xavier's school for mutants with the intention of becoming one of the X-Men. The other main interest in Neil's life is the blossoming relationship between himself and Gaia.

GAIA

Real name: Chloe Scott

Age: 16

Mutant abilities: Communication with and control of animals.

History: Chloe first displayed her latent ability at a very young age, inadvertently revealing herself as a mutant to her mother and father. Aware of society's hatred of mutants, her parents protected their daughter by hiding her secret, and thus Chloe has never experienced the discrimination and dislike that her friends have had to put up with. Chloe loves animals, refuses to eat or use anything that an animal has been killed to produce, and prefers to use her gift to help and heal, instead of hurt or kill. She has joined the X-Men to try and learn more about herself, her powers, and how to use them to preserve the lives of others.

SHAPESHIFTER

Real name: Chris Garcia

Age: 16

Mutant abilities: Changing entire body from solid to liquid, and vice versa.

History: Growing up in the slums, from an early age Chris was no stranger to hostility and suffering. A bitter and sarcastic individual, Chris has witnessed first-hand, on many occasions, humanity's fear and hatred of mutants. He believes it is impossible that humans and mutants will ever co-exist together, yet still fights for what he thinks is right. Loyal and fair to those who have earned his trust, while a vengeful and deadly enemy to others, Chris joined the X-Men in the hope that he might be proved wrong. Initially suspicious and mistrustful of Xavier and his intentions, Chris now knows that he is fighting on the side of right.

PSYCHE

Real name: Jacqueline Cartier

Age: 17

Mutant abilities: Telepathy; telekinesis.

History: Disowned by her mutant-hating parents at the age of 7, Jacqueline has since suffered various mental illnesses, including depression, violent outbursts, and a split personality bordering on schizophrenia. As a telepath, Jacqueline has the ability to contain more than one consciousness inside her own mind, and for years has been haunted by the mental presence of her seven-year old self. Since then, Jacqueline has absorbed at least one other telepath's consciousness, and been driven further and further unbalanced by the pressure of multiple minds living inside her own. Seeking vengeance for her condition, she plunged into the depths of insanity when she murdered her own parents, and has since sworn an undying hatred of all humans. Recruited by Magneto, her whereabouts are currently unknown.

A/N: not a great summary of the four main characters, but you really need to read the first story to get to know them properly. The only thing I've added is the nicknames, three of which are hinted at in the first story.