Author's Note: This fic is written by both me, Lexie, and my friend here MacmuffL, or The Lucy. My penname on fanfic site is DragonflyQueen, but I don't have anything posted yet. I'll write at the top whenever the story is in Katherine's point of view (she's my character) and hopefully Lucy will do the same for Artemis... Anyway, this is just an experiment that Luce and I want to try so yeh.
BTW Pleaze review, as constructive critics are desperately needed, well me mez anyway.
Oh, and somewhere down there I describe Kati as an 'oddball' and not pretty. The fact is, no one's perfect, and while Kati is not a stunning beauty, she is not ugly either, she's just... normal. But hey, in a manor filled with tons of perfect figured girls who gonna want a 'normal' looking one?

Part I

Chapter Two

The Rose Garden

Katherine watched the new girl, Artemis, sit down uncomfortably in a chair. She stopped drawing for a few seconds, pencil hovering just above the paper. She glanced at the girl once more before turning her attention back to the drawing. The vision was still clear in her mind, a dark room, red eyes and a bright flash, like a flame. The picture, to most who decided to glance at it, didn't make much sense, but Kati could see a story unfolding with every stroke. Time danced by without much notice. The light faded, and soon there was only Kati and a few others left in the room, Artemis was one of them. Kati could see that she was bored, she wasn't watching the TV and she was staring blankly out of the window. Kati smiled, her drawing was finished. It wasn't perfect, she still hadn't masted the art of making objects look like they are moving, so most of the pictured look blurry. She sighed and folded it in half, twirling her pencil in one hand.

She stood up and walked over to Artemis.

"Hey," she muttered, playing with the corner of the paper. Artemis tore her gaze from the window and looked at her.

"Do you want me to show you to your room, or can you find it yourself?"

Artemis blinked, blue eyed gaze sweeping over the short girl in front of her.

"My room? I though we shared, like as in roommates." she said. Kati blinked, deliberately and slowly. It was one of her many tricks to unnerve knew people she didn't know. It didn't work with Artemis.

"Technically, but I've never in it so it basically is yours, unless your never there either, so it's Ruki's."

"The Professor said you didn't talk." Artemis muttered, heaving herself up from the sagging chair.

"I don't," she retorted, eyes flashing dangerously. "This is not talking, this, would be either idle chatter or introductions."

Artemis' eyebrow shot up, the tall blonde looking curiously at Kati.

"So you either idle chatter or introduce yourself?" she asked, following Kati out of the room. Kati shrugged, speeding up as they passed the many clusters of people staggered about the corridors. Kati's eyes locked on the staircase, almost running past the throng of noisy teens. Artemis couldn't help but see the funny side of the situation: the oddball of the manor, a short, shy, reclusive girl who was obsessed, it seemed, with drawing weird pictures of people and was definitely not considered pretty by the guys, being followed by a new, stunningly beautiful blonde who, as rumour had it, possessed amazing talent. Kati sighed in relief when she reached the top of the stairs, the noise lessened as she walked further away from the TV room. She waited in a dark corner for Artemis to catch up.

"What took you so long?" she murmured.

Artemis didn't answer, eyeing the small brunette warily. Kati glanced at her, then continued down the dark hallway.

As they walked Kati felt something probing at her mind. She glared, and snapped up a barrier. The probing continued, as if a Physick hand was trying to push down her barrier. Kati turned to look at Artemis, but she was walked along like nothing was wrong. Kati flicked a switch and the hallway was flooded with light.

"This is the room," Kati said quietly, pushing the door open. Arte nodded, and the probing ceased.

"By the way, who's Ruki?" Artemis asked as they went inside.

"Ruki," Kati echoed simply, pondering her answer. "How can one describe such a creature?"

Arté snorted, flopping down onto a soft, orange covered bed.

"Ruki is my cat," Kati said softly, and as if hearing her name, an orange tabby cat leapt onto the dresser. She purred loudly, clear blues eyes turning to look at Artemis.

"Ruki's a cat?" Artemis repeated, looking at the cat.

"Is that not what I just said?" Kati snapped at her. Arté sat up, a lot of orange cat hair flying up with her.

"So, what are you suppose to do around here?" she asked. Kati glared at her, unfolding her drawing and, selecting a draw, placed it neatly in with hundreds of others. Grabbing a drawing pad and a few pencils she stalked out of the room. Arté smiled as the door closed softly behind her.

"You know Ruki," she said to the cat. "I really don't like that position of that dresser."

She laughed softly, locking her eyes on the plain, wooden desk. Ruki yowled and leapt off onto a chair just before it went flying over to the other side of the room.

Kati watched with satisfaction as the few kids sitting in the Rose Garden scattered. She sat on her favourite seat in the arbour, a small smile on her lips. The late afternoon sun's rays were just spilling out from the clouds, warming Kati's back. Her eyelids drooped, but she refused to succumb to sleep just yet. She opened her pad, grabbing a pencil was the many she had. Staring at a single, lonely rose poised elegantly right in front of her she let all other thoughts drift was her mind. Without her even knowing, her pencil began to move rapidly over the paper, sketching the flowers in all its blood red brilliance.

She drew for about half an hour, and when she finally leant back to gaze at her drawing it was twilight, and the only light was fading fast. It was at this time that Kati liked to be out in the Rose Garden. With the use of sight gone, there was only left touch, sound and smell. And taste, but Kati fervently hoped that there would be nothing to taste. The rose blooms danced enigmatically in her mind, her slender fingers stroking one particular bloom unconsciously. For another ten minutes she sat there, until all warmth from the chair had faded and the cool night air was kicking in. The garden was a sea of darkness, broken only by the gentle sway of the roses in the lights from the manor. Kati stepped down from the arbour, threading silently through the maze of paths around the Rose Garden.

She reached the front door of the manor without any calamities, unusual for Kati. She was about to enter when a whiff of smoke stopped her. Intrigued, she darted around the corner to see who it was. She surprised herself with this unnatural act of curiosity, or more to the point, acting on her curiosity. There, half hidden in the shadows, stood a lanky teenager with red eyes smoking a cigarette. Kati stifled a gasp, recognizing instantly from her most recently drawn picture. He turned his red eyes to look at her, blowing a puff of smoke in her direction.

"Who are you?" she asked, wanting to know the identity of her drawing. He didn't respond for a moment, then taking another drag of his cigarette he did.

"Ah, but cherie Remy wants to know who you are." he said, French accent evident in his speak. Kati raised an eyebrow sceptically, clutching her drawing pad tighter.

"Why?" she asked simply.

"Because Remy wishes to know a certain, whom cherie here does."

Kati sighed, silently of course. Her eyes flicked to the door.

"Her name is Artemis," she mumbled before stumbling back inside the manor.

Once the door was shut the gripped the pencil so hard it snapped. Her eyes flashed furiously, angry at herself. She ripped off the rose drawing she had done while outside, scrunching it up into a tiny ball. Storming down the hall to her favourite room she began to methodically tear it into tiny strips. Suddenly, like always, the hallway reeled and red stripes crossed her vision, forming a neon cube in her eyesight.

"No wonder I hate red," she muttered to herself and as balance tipped. She fell heavily on the floor, wincing at she bruised let another part of her body. Her fingers trembled, the red flashed brighter, burning into her mind, she shut her eyes tears trickling down her cheeks. She was crying for the people in her vision.

They were on a swing, in the middle of a huge, open field. Just them, just the swing. A huge golden bird drifted lazily above them, showing the area with beautiful sparks. Just them, just the bird, just the swing. But something was not right. The horizon was blurry, like the future was not to be seen, or it was covered with a barrier for painful memories. The pair were sad, just holding each other, the swing moving slowly, like it was a movie in slow motion. Just them, just the swing...

Kati jerked her head back up, wiping the tears away quickly. She wasn't surprised to find a pencil in her hand, hovering above an open page of her drawing pad. She stared at the blank page, but wasn't in the mood to draw the distressing scene. She snapped the book shut, hurling it down the corridor. It landed with a loud wham, skidding a further few metres before halting.

"What the-" a loud, gruff voice shouted.

Oh great, Kati though sarcastically. I wonder how long it will take Logan the Bogan to realise that it was I who hurled a drawing pad at him door. My money is on... seven hours.

She smiled to herself as she leapt up the stair, two at a time. She heard the door slam open, and a low growl echo stairs.

"What the?" Logan said again.

God, is that the only exclamation you have in your very limited vocabulary?

Kati laughed silently at the top of the stairs, watching Logan stare at the book through the banister poles. He sighed and stalked back into him room, taking the pad with him.

Damn

Kati stood up, walking back to her room. She opened the door, not expecting Artemis to be lying on the bed, reading.

"What did you do to the room?" Kati said, eyes roving the space.

"Practicing," Arte said, eyes not leaving the page. Kati gestured franticly to the furniture.

"Put it back!" she said, trying not to loose her temper.

Arte looked at her.

"I shall not," she said simply. "And the room shall stay like this until I can be bothered to change it back."

Kati glared at the blonde, but knowing that Arte could beat her in a fight, except maybe sword fighting, she left it.

"I have to go soon," she said, looking at the time. Arte shrugged.

"Is that all you do?" Arte asked. "Draw pictures or hide away in the shadows?"

Kati scowled, eyeing Ruki disapprovingly, who was washing herself on the end of Arte's bed.

"What's it to you?" Kati said softly, backing out into the corridor. Silent tears coursed down her face. Oh, how she hated this new life. She couldn't wait for Lilly to come back from boarding school. She missed her younger sister more than ever, and stuck in Mutant High was a useless powers paired with a reclusive nature was not fun. For the second time that night, she wiped her tears away and headed for room H12, where she had her daily, well, nightly training with Professor Xavier.

God Kati, you never cry. What's with Arte that makes you so... well, emotional?

Unanswered questions ran through her conscious waking like a flood, questions that definitely could not be answered by any except her.

A/N: Kati's life history next chapter, along with her family/friends and why she's at the X Manor. Hopefully Lucy will post soon... ï