Disclaimer: Ok, for I have to say I, of course, do not own any of the X-Men. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here, typing on this old-ass computer. I'd be sportin' some new software… and did I just use the word 'sportin''? Oh my gosh… ::shakes head:: Anyways, like I said, any character that can be found in the Marvel Universe is just being borrowed for this story, though I wouldn't mind paying the extra charge to keep Logan out a little longer. Oh yeah, I've changed some aspects of the Evolution life, cause, well, we haven't actually gotten to see the rest of the fourth season… so things are kinda just hanging. I've decided to put Evan back with the X crew, even though I don't like him. Seriously, if they wanted some bone throwin', attitude sportin' mutant, why didn't they just bring in Marrow? Other little things might have been changed, I'm not really sure. I'll give a cookie to the first person to find all of 'em.

Oh yes, I also have to say this to anyone who notices. My character's name is Shay and she's a silver, gargoyle like creature. Now, it's come to my attention in the last few weeks that there's already a series out there of fanfiction that also has a character named Shay that's gargoyle like in appearance. Now, I swear on my Lord of the Rings collection that I came up with my Shay character way before I ever heard of Next-X and their Shay creation. I mean, there had to come a time when two people would come up with almost the exact same character in the fan fiction world. So yeah, I just wanted to make a point that I didn't steal this character… it's just a very large coincidence. [Wow, that's the longest disclaimer I've ever written. ]

Warnings: Sorry, no warnings this time. Well, except for language and dark themes, but that's why this is rated R.

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 1

Deep in the sewers of New York City, a group of people live their lives in secret, away from the rest of humanity, those who stare and whisper, the ones who don't understand. Hidden in a maze of tunnels and ladders, shielded by shadows and mist, the Morlocks have escaped persecution and the hate that normal humans have for mutants.

The Morlocks are ruled by Callisto at this time, though it will not always be. Callisto is now a young mutant, only just beginning to test the boundaries of her power and control. She's a good leader; both kind and strict in equal amounts, though at the moment her hands are filled with a young mutant named Shay.

Callisto gave the name to her over a year ago, when she first showed up in the Morlock tunnels. Another mutant had found the girl in an alley on the surface, hidden behind a dumpster, bloody and beaten. Callisto had asked what her name was, but the girl didn't have one. Thus, Callisto began to call the girl Shay.

The odd name matched the girl perfectly. Long, thin limbs, Shay moved always in graceful strides, though she did not know it. Wide solid colored eyes of magenta matched her lips and hair, which was cut short, the tips touching the bottoms of her pointed ears, the front covering the sides of her face. Her eyes were wide, the glowing magenta almost hypnotic to anyone who looked at her, a small button nose making her look younger then her years. The rest of her body, her skin, was colored a silver gray, like moonlight reflecting off a lake. The striking contrast between her hair and skin gave Shay the look of a true oddity in the world.

The most noticed part of Shay though, were her wings. Two silver wings, just like a gargoyle's, sprouted from her back. The gargoyle resemblance didn't stop there though, as that her feet and hands both were larger in size then normal, and her fingers ended in, for a lack of a better word, small claws. A thick tail helped give Shay an added bonus for balance. Overall, Shay looked more like she needed to be perched atop a castle then hidden under the sewers of New York.

For almost a year and a half now, Shay had made a home along side the other Morlocks. Her physical mutations were not an oddity among the other teens. Her past remained hidden from all, except Callisto, who Shay talked to often when she was worried or anxious. She'd spend the rest of her time either sitting quietly among the others, reading any book that happened to find it's way into the tunnel or she'd find an empty chamber away from the Morlocks to spread her wings.

Now, Shay was perched on a short wall, her wings spread slightly to help keep her balance, tail pushing lightly against the wall. Callisto was seated on a crate a few feet away, arms crossed. For the past couple of weeks, Shay's body was showing a long hidden mutation. Most mutant genes would manifest in a person's early teen years, just as puberty began. But for Shay, both her skin pigmentation and her wings had been apparent from birth.

This new mutation though, it had only begun to manifest in the past few weeks, which was extremely odd since Shay could be no younger then 17. The first reaction was when Shay touched a younger mutant, helping him up from the ground. When the boy fell, he'd cut his arm on a rock.

The minute their hands met, an odd white glow emitted from the spot they touched, and Shay cried out in pain, pulling her hand back. A warmth had spread through her fingers, into her hand and up her arm, pouring into her body. The spasm of pain blurred her vision for a brief second, then her hand had pulled away and the pain began to dull. After checking over the two, to make sure no one was injured, the younger mutant realized that his cut was gone. Everyone looked to Shay and she looked to her hands.

Scared of what was happening to her, Shay stayed apart from the other Morlocks for a few days, working things over in her head. She worried about this mutation, another so-called 'gift' graciously given to her, which she would curse some nights, in darkness and tears. These nights were mostly haunted by her past, with her father…

"Callisto, I don't know what to do. I mean, what the hell is this? Some kind of late forming mutation? I woulda thought this silver skin and wings were enough of a pain in the ass," Shay muttered from atop the wall. Her hands fidgeted with the watch on her wrist. Callisto had no idea why Shay wore the thing, it didn't work.

"I'm not sure either Shay. We'll work on it."

"How? I mean, no offense Cal," – Shay was one of the few who could get away with calling her Cal -, "but what do you want to do? Hurt a couple of the kids and let me touch 'em? See if it happens again? Should I get a little piece of chalk so we can mark it on a wall?"

Callisto let out a sigh and shot a look at the other girl. Both were about the same age and height, 5'4" or 5'5", and were both extremely stubborn, though Shay had developed a biting wit that annoyed Callisto to no end.

"No, Shay. We'll think of something, ok?"

Shay bit her lip for a second-- a bad habit -- then finally hopped down from the wall, landing a few feet in front of Callisto.

"I've decided to leave the Morlocks."

Callisto's head snapped up. "What are you talking about?"

Sighing, Shay folded her wings tightly against her back and hugged herself. The tunnels were freezing, as normal. "I've been thinking for the past few days, talked to some of the other kids. I want to think you for all your help, but I need something now you can't give me. I need answers."

Shay turned and began to walk away. Callisto sprang up off her crate and grabbed Shay's arm. "Where do you think you can find these answers?"

"Xavier's." Shay's reply caused Callisto to flinch.

"You think you'll fit in there? That they'll even look at you? You're a Morlock, Shay. Xavier's kids and us Morlocks don't go together."

"What about Spyke?" Shay felt her anger rising. This wasn't what she wanted. She should have just left without saying goodbye, but she couldn't have. Not after all the Morlocks, most of all Callisto, had done for her. She wouldn't just leave without thanking her.

"What about Spyke?" Callisto repeated her. "Xavier tossed him out when his mutation became physical, I've told you that."

"That's not what I've heard, Cal. I heard Spyke choose to come here. That the X-Men actually came to get him."

"That's rubbish," Callisto laughed, though Shay could hear the nervousness in it. Callisto's hold on her arm tightened. "Listen to me Shay. Don't go."

Shay wrenched her arm away and shook her head. "I'm sorry Cal, but I got to. I'm worried about this- this touch of mine. I don't know what's going on but I think Xavier can help me figure it out."

"And what if he doesn't? What if the great Professor has no answers? What will you do then?"

Shay let out a final sigh, her face falling. "Then I guess I'll be on my own again."

After that, she turned and walked away. Callisto let her go, but called after her, "They won't take you in, not you, not any of us! We're the freak mutants, don't forget that Shay!"

When the girl's form disappeared into the shadow, Callisto cursed to herself. She turned and stormed into the next chamber, scaring Leech out of his chair.

"Contact Magneto," Callisto said, almost sadly. "Tell him Shay is heading towards Xavier's and if he still wants her, he'll need to move pretty damn fast."

****Notes****

"There goes my hero, watch him as he goes. There goes my hero, he's ordinary." I don't know why, but I think this song goes along with Logan perfectly. Anyways, notes? Well, let's see. This is the first fan fic that I've actually started uploading chapters without the whole story already being written. So, since I'm the author, I hold the rights to come back and switch some things around with I feel the need. Oh yesh, also, don't expect another update anytime soon. I'm graduating from high school in a week… I might be kinda busy goofin' off and acting like an idiot for the next month or so.