A.N.: Well, here's yet another fic. Just a quick shout-out to Daydream, for giving me the idea to write this! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Only own Ruse, Zany, & Story idea; everything else is owned by the people who own X-men. Enjoy!

"MOMMY! MOMMY!" A child's voice rang out, as they were dragged further and further away from the one they wanted. "MOMMY!"

The child's mother watched as two men took the struggling child further and further down the hall. She and her husband had given their child to people who wanted to perform experiments on mutants. Yes, mutants. The baby of their family – age wise – was a mutant. She was one of those horrible, disgusting, dangerous things. Things that they wished to have nothing to do with at all. Things that should cease to exist once and for all. It hadn't bothered her all that much, when her husband had suggested this – she was getting quite fed-up with the child as it was – the child that was forever getting into mischief. Besides, what else could mutants possibly be good for? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"MOMMY!" The small voice rang out, as the child struggled to break free of her captors' grasps. "MOMMY!"

The mother turned then – along with her husband – and began to leave the building altogether. She didn't want to admit that the child's cries were starting to get to her…Her child… The mutant… How could she have given birth to such a dreadful thing? How?

"MOMMY!" The child wailed one last time, before being slapped in order to get her to shut up. She began to whimper softly, in a pitiful manner. "Mommy…Mommy…"

The child couldn't understand why her Mommy – Daddy too – were leaving her behind with this awful men. These men were big and scary – very scary. She struggled a bit more, but soon gave up as her struggles proved to be fruitless. She whimpered some more as she was dragged further into the building and into a very scary looking, strange room with a whole bunch on machinery in it.

The men placed the small child upon the table that was there and strapped her down, so she'd be unable to move. Though they knew she was scared, they didn't care. Not one bit. After all, it was just another damned mutant, right?

The child began to scream now that she was strapped down and unable to move anything but her head. She was terribly frightened and wanted to go home to her Mommy – Daddy too. Hell, she was even missing her brothers that were always picking on her right then. She especially missed her one brother – John – as he was the one who always protected her best he could. Though, sadly, he couldn't protect her this time – though, he had tried his damned hardest to do so. He'd tried so hard, he'd earned himself his very first spanking ever. Nothing had hurt more than to be dragged away from him of all people. Nothing – until now, that is.

A frumpy middle-aged man entered the room then, and immediately set to work. He stuck her with needles and other things, to get hot iron into her body. He wanted to make a miniature Wolverine – seeing as he had helped design the original Wolverine.

The child howled in protest and sobbed endlessly, her tears and eyes begging him for mercy – something he'd have none of. The pain soon became too much for the small child and she passed out cold upon his experimenting table.

The man smiled as she passed out – he'd known she would eventually – after all, she was just a mere child. A disgraceful child – who'd chosen to be mutant, rather than mortal. He continued about his work, making sure everything was moving along accordingly. He knew he'd be pleased with his latest piece of work – especially since she was the smallest he'd ever worked on. Nothing had brought him greater joy, than finding out there was another like Wolverine – but much, much smaller – Nothing.

The small child awoke quite a while later, feeling sick to her small stomach and incredibly sore – though, her body had healed itself for her. It was while she lay there, that she remembered she never thought of becoming invisible. She was one of the rare mutants, whom had more than one power. She actually had three – self-healing, invisibility, and telepathy. Though, she would soon discover, she now had four different mutant abilities and not just three like before.

"Ah, awake I see," the meanest man of all from before, commented. "I would like you to do something for me, Wolvette-116.675."

The small child, whom still lay upon the dratted table, whimpered upon seeing him. She was scared, and very badly wanted to be returned home to her family. She also hated the name he had given her.

"I need you to tense your arms up for me," he told her. "Now, do so before I get angry."

The child closed her eyes, not wanting to see him any longer. She tensed up, only to feel a horrible pain shoot through her hands as something tore out of them. She whimpered, and dared to peek out to see just what it was that was hurting her so badly. Imagine her surprise when she saw knife-like things coming out between her knuckles – three on each hand. She felt fear rise up in her and began to scream hysterically and endlessly. She just couldn't stop screaming – not even if she had tried to stop right then.

The man grew angry and left the room quickly, after having had decided tantrums shouldn't be reward with anything – not even a punishment. He did not like for people to scream so shrilly, but decided she would get what was coming to her eventually in the training sessions he had already set up for her. She was to be a weapon – his weapon against all those other mutants. There was juts no way they could harm a mere child – especially one of their own kind – despite what she may be doing and deserve.

Meanwhile, back at Xavier's School For The Gifted, Professor Charles Xavier had called an emergency meeting.

"I have found another mutant," Professor Xavier informed his X-men. "It is one of the female kind and is in very much need of our help. She has been captured and appears to be in more pain than any of us could imagine – though, one of us can imagine it quite well as they've lived through it before themselves.

Logan's head snapped up. "You mean me," he said, and watched the Professor nod. "Well, tell us where she is already, so we can go and get her!"

"She is strapped down to the table still," Professor Xavier told them. "The building is near Lenore Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada."

Logan quickly turned to leave, as did Scott, and Storm, but were stopped momentarily by the Professor.

"Logan," Professor Xavier began. "She may not be quite what you expect to see. Nonetheless, bring her back here so that we can take care of her."

Logan gave the Professor an odd look, then quickly turned once more and took off to get in the Hyper-Jet before anyone else.

"Don't worry child," Professor Xavier thought to himself. "Help is on its way."

Back in Saskatchewan, near Lenore Lake, the small child still lay helplessly strapped to the experimenting table. She was trying to block out all the hours she had witnessed that day – horrors that had sadly happened to her. Though she had blacked out, she still had seen and felt parts of the experiment she wished she had not. She was still whimpering softly, when she heard people shouting and running about. She grew frightened, and mustering up her last bit of strength, made herself invisible.

The doors to the room burst open seconds later, revealing one X-men and three security guards with big guns. The guards were very quickly taken down, by the X-men known as Wolverine. Once the guards were down, Wolverine looked about he room, seemingly confused when he didn't see anyone in there.

"Aw, c'mon. The girl has to be here! We've searched everywhere else already!" He exclaimed exasperated. It was then he saw something slowly appear upon the table.

The child had heard the new person come in, and had sensed him to be safe – thus being the reason she as letting herself become visible again – that, and she was exhausted.

"Shit," Wolverine muttered, quickly heading over to the experimenting table and slicing through the straps holding the child down with his own built-in-knives.

The small child stared up at him wide-eyed. Her mind was still a bit foggy, and her eyes heavy, but she knew he had to be safe if he was letting her out – besides, he seemed to have strange things in his hands just like her, so he just had to be safe. He just had to be.

Wolverine eyed the child a quick moment. "C'mon Kid. I gotta get yah outta here," he said gruffly.

The child whimpered, and raised her arms slightly, signifying she wanted to be held.

Wolverine muttered a few choice words under his breath, and quickly scooped the small girl up. He hugged her close to him, as he made a run for it. Luckily for him, Cyclops and Storm were holding off the other security guards that had come running to stop them.

Once safely on the Hyper-Jet, Logan sat with the child safely nestled in his arms. He would've put her down, but couldn't, as she'd a death grip upon his X-men uniform. He ignored the looks he was getting from Cyclops, and just held her closer to him.

"What's your name?" Cyclops demanded of the child, as Storm flew the jet. "Where are you from? Why were you here? How did you get here?"

The child whimpered and cowered into Wolverine, as Cyclops was starting to scare her some.

"Scott! Back off!" Wolverine snapped. "You're scaring the Kid."

"Oh, and like you're not," Cyclops retorted, buckling himself back up in his seat.

Wolverine rolled his eyes and gave Cyclops the finger, using one of his blades. He quickly made it disappear, not wanting to scare the small girl himself. He looked down at her, as he nudged her enough for her to look up at him.

"You have a name?" He asked. "I'm Logan. Though, some call me Wolverine."

The child sniffled and spoke softly. "Lenore…"

Logan frowned, noticing her name was the same as that of the lake they'd found her at. He wasn't sure if that really was her actual name, of if she was just stating that because that's where she'd been previously. Oh, well. He'd let the Professor figure that one out.

"Well, Lenore," he began. "Do you know how you got to that building?"

Lenore nodded, giving a small whimper, and buried her face back into his uniform.

"Hey, hey," Logan said. "Don't cry Kid. Everything'll be all right. I'll look after yah."

Lenore sniffled as she felt Logan rub her back. "I-I call you – you Wolvie?" She asked softly.

"Sure, Kid," Logan agreed, wanting to make sure he didn't upset her anymore. "Yah can call me whatever yah like,"

"I-I have n-new name?" She wanted to know.

"New name?" Logan repeated, looking confused.

"Y-You L-Logan, W-Wolvie…I-I w-wan' a-a n-name t-too…" She explained as best she could through her stuttering.

"Oh," Logan nodded, suddenly understanding. "You want an X-men name too."

The child nodded her response. "M-Me t-too…"

"Mm…let's see," Logan trailed off. "I'm not too god at names here…" He thought for a couple of moments, before speaking again. "How about…Ruse?"

"I-I l-like," Lenore agreed quietly. "I-I R-Ruse." She then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Their conversation had worn her out even more than she'd already been.

Logan sighed, and once he was sure nobody was looking back at them, kissed her head softly. "Sleep tight, Ruse."

Upon their arrival back at the school, Lenore was immediately taken to the infirmary to be checked out by Jean. Which was soon deemed a bad idea when the small child woke up and began to scream because she couldn't find a familiar face.

"WOLVIE!!! WOLVIE!!!" She screamed hysterically.

"Calm down," Jean told her. "I'm not going to hurt you." She moved a bit closer, wanting to calm the child some.

Lenore saw the strange woman move closer, and began to scream even louder. "WOLVIEEEE!!!"

A couple moments later, Logan entered the room and quickly went to the child's side. "What the hell's goin' on?" He demanded, giving Jean a hard look –something he'd never done before. "What did yah do to the Kid?"

"Nothing," Jean replied. "She just woke up and started screaming. Just because she's screaming doesn't mean someone necessarily did something to her, Logan."

Lenore automatically sat straight up and put a death grip on Logan. "Wolvie," she whimpered as she hiccupped. "Wolvie…Don' leave me…"

Logan looked back at the child and smoothed her hair back off her face. "I'm not goin' anywhere, Kid."

"Well, since you're up," Jean started. "I need to ask you some things, Lenore."

Lenore scowled. She did not like this woman, nor did she like that name anymore. "Not my name," she stated flatly, though not all that loud.

"It's not?" Jean said confused. "But I thought…?"

"It Ruse," Lenore stated firmly. "I Ruse."

"Lenore…" Jean tried.

"Ruse!" Lenore screamed at her. "I Ruse! Wolvie said!"

Jean looked to Logan then. "You told her, her name was Ruse?"

"Yes. Problem?" Logan challenged. "She wanted a name, so I gave her one."

Jean shook her head. "You'd best just take her to the Professor, since he'll want to see all of us. And I don't see Ruse here, letting you go anytime soon."

Logan gave her a brisk nod, then scooped Ruse up into his arms. "C'mon Kid. Time to go see the Professor."

"I-Is h-he sc-scary?" Ruse asked nervously.

"Nah. That's Scott yah gotta worry 'bout, not the Professor," Logan chuckled. "Professor Xavier won't hurt yah. In fact, he's the one who told us where to find yah."

"Oh…" Ruse nodded slightly.

Soon enough, the X-men and Ruse were all stood or were seated in the Professor's study. They were awaiting Jean to tell them what she had discovered about Ruse.

"Hello Ruse," Professor Xavier smiled at her, before Jean could start. "I'm Professor Xavier. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Hi…" Ruse answered softly. She then popped a thumb into her mouth.

Logan shifted her slightly, as he stood leaning against a wall. It was a good thing she wasn't all that heavy, or he'd have to put her down – and she'd probably just scream and totally freak out if he id that.

"She would," Professor Xavier told him telepathically.

Logan gave him a nod, then looked to Jean. "Well?"

"Well, provided I was unable to do a full examination because of someone's screaming," Jean began. "I can only tell you about half of the things I'd normally be able to tell you."

"So get on with it," Logan said.

"She would if you'd quit interrupting, "Scott piped up.

"Watch it, Cyclops," Logan retorted.

"Oh, really? What are you going to do, Claws?"

"I'll – " Logan began, only to be cut off.

"Leave Wolvie 'lone!" Ruse ordered. "Or Professor'll make yah wash da cars!" She had heard the Professor's thoughts.

Scott looked at her. "And how would you know that, huh?"

Ruse glared at him. "He told me, Dummy."

Scott narrowed his eyes, though they could only see his brow furrow. "Oh, really?"

"Scott, that's enough!" Professor Xavier stated. "You too Logan." He looked at Jean. "Please continue."

"I believe the only thing she can do is heal herself, and become invisible," Jean informed them. "A full examination would help me reveal anything else, so if Logan brings her back to the infirmary after this, I can check…"

"NO!" Ruse shrieked suddenly. "I no go! Wolvie! No!"

Logan brushed the child's brown blond-streaked hair out of her face. "Relax Kid. We're not goin' there after here. I got something more fun planned."

"Well, then she needs to answer my questions," Jean declared firmly.

"Go ahead, Kid," Logan urged. "Just answer her, an' yah won't hafta go back to the infirmary."

"Kay…" Ruse whimpered, her piercing green eyes getting a bit teary, as she rested her head upon Logan's shoulder.

"Well, first off, Ruse, how old are you?"

"Seven…" Came the soft reply.

"What powers do you have?"

"Ones you said…" Ruse whispered, deciding to keep the other two a secret for now.

"What's your favourite colour?"

"Blue an' red."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"John – he ten; Ben – he eight. An' Glen – he eight too."

"Who took you to that building?"

Ruse whimpered as she snuggled into Logan a bit more. "Mommy…an' Daddy…"

"Why?"

Ruse shrugged as her reply.

"Why were you strapped to that table? Did they do anything to you? If so, what did they do?" Jean inquired all at once.

Ruse's lower lips trembled for a moment. She then began to cry, and hid her face into Logan's neck, her hot tears streaming down her face and onto him.

Logan gave Jean an angry look. "Would yah drop it an' leave the Kid alone? What is with you two makin' her cry?"

"Well, we need to know!" Jean snapped. "How can we help her, when we don't know what's wrong with her?"

"How can yah expect her to answer yah, when yah keep scarin' her?" Logan argued.

Ruse was growing immensely frightened by all the arguing, and quickly turned herself invisible. She even more quickly squirmed down out of Logan's arms, and ran for the Professor – though no one but Professor Xavier knew where she had gone.

Professor Xavier felt the small child at his side, and helped her into his lap as the three X-men continued to argue relentlessly. "They won't harm you, Ruse," he assured her. "It seems Logan cares for you more than he prefers to let on. Jean and Scott just want to help, but they're not too good with children of your age."

Ruse whimpered and hid her face into the Professor. She felt safe in his lap – as safe as she felt in Logan's arms.

"I know you can reads minds, Ruse," Professor Xavier stated telepathically. "I know you heard me think of having Scott wash the cars."

Ruse pressed herself into him a bit more, and let her thoughts answer for her. "You gonna tell?"

"No. I'll keep it as our little secret," Professor Xavier answered her silently. "I'll help you with it privately – you can tell them when you are ready."

"Thank-you," came a meek telepathic reply.

Professor Xavier looked up at the bickering X-men then. "For your information, she did not leave the room. She is here in my lap, frightened by all the arguing. Can you three not get along for the child's sake? She's been frightened enough, though I don't know the full extent of it."

"Do you have metal in you like Logan?" Jean asked Ruse, eyeing the Professor's lap.

"NO," came the firm, yet soft, response.

"All right. I'll leave you alone then," Jean stated.

"And I'll mind my own business, provided you stay out of my way," Scott told her.

Storm entered the room then. "Sorry Professor. But Bobby and John had a bit of a spat, and I needed to keep them in control."

"That is quite all right," Professor Xavier nodded. "Ruse, this is storm."

"Hi…" Ruse said quietly, slowly making herself visible once more.

Storm smiled warmly. "Hello Ruse." She'd heard Logan name the child while on the Hyper-Jet. "Would you like for me to get you and Logan some colouring books and crayons?"

Ruse nodded, her eyes lighting up slightly. "Please?"

"Would you like to come with me and pick a colouring book out?" Storm wanted to know.

"C'n Wolvie come?"

"Sure!" Storm beamed. "Logan can come too. I'll bet he knows a good colouring book from a bad one."

"Kay…" Ruse whispered. She turned then, and gave the Professor's cheek a kiss. "Thank-you."

Professor Xavier smiled at the child. "You are welcome, Ruse. I shall send for you a bit later so we can further out talk."

Ruse nodded, and slid out of his lap. She then ran over to Logan, who quickly scooped her back up. She gave a small giggle, as he tickled her lightly, then rested her head upon his shoulder once more.

"I'll bring her back later," Logan told the Professor. "Long as she don't fall asleep on me."

Ruse giggled another small giggle, as they exited the study.

"Now," Professor Xavier started, turning to look at the two still in the room. "Scott, Jean, you are to both wash the X-men cars. You should know how to control yourselves and not frighten such a fragile, small child."

"Logan started it!" Scott snapped slightly.

"I shall deal with Logan privately," Professor Xavier replied. "Now, you are dismissed."

After they had coloured for a while, Logan got Ruse some dinner from the kitchen, then sat with her on the couch to watch some television. It was while they sat there, that she recognized someone. It was a boy her age, whom had dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.

"Alex?" Ruse said, looking shocked. "That you?"

Alex, who was now known as Zany, looked up. "Lenore!?!?"

Ruse jumped off the couch and ran for him. "I didn' know you were here!"

"I've been here for a whole year now," Alex said proudly. "How come you're here?"

"Wolvie found me an' brought me," Ruse replied, hugging him tightly. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too!" Alex declared. "Thought I'd never see yah again!"

"Me too! Me too!"

"I take it yah know each other?" Logan piped up, raising an eyebrow.

Ruse giggled. "He my bestest best friend, Wolvie!"

"I lived next door 'till I got sent here," Alex told him. "She's my best friend. Even if she is just a lil' kid."

"Hey! I'm seven, not six now!" Ruse argued. "I'm not lil' no more!"

"Well, yah talk like it," Alex laughed.

Ruse shoved him playfully. "You know I just turned it, Silly."

"Oh. So yah know, my name's not Alex. It's Zany."

"I'm Ruse," she giggled.

"Sweet!" Zany exclaimed with a goofy grin.

"Come watch T.V. with me an' Wolvie!" Ruse said excitedly.

"Okay!" Zany agreed, quickly following her over to the couch. She'd a hold of his hand, so technically he didn't have much of a choice.

The two then sat upon the couch, both in Logan's lap, as that's where Ruse had wanted for them to sit. Reluctantly, Logan had agreed to let them sit there. He'd been afraid of being caught with one kid in his lap, but now he had two – one more to worry about.

"Why you here?" Ruse asked Zany during a commercial break.

"I'm a teleporter!" Zany answered proudly. "'Member how I always disappeared on yah, then would be over by a tree or somethin'?"

"Yeah," Ruse nodded.

"I can sit here, an' then wind up…" He disappeared, and suddenly popped up by the doorway. "…over here!"

"Cool!" Ruse smiled. "I can disappear too! Watch!" She turned herself invisible, then re-appeared again, still sitting upon Logan's lap. "See?"

"Cool!" Zany grinned, as he suddenly appeared next to her on Logan's lap once more. "We're gonna have lots a fun playin' hide n seek!"

Ruse squealed at the thought. "I love hide n seek!"

"Let's go see if John'll play!" Zany suggested. "Bobby and Rogue are busy…"

"Kay!" Ruse quickly agreed, following after him quickly.

Logan looked down at his now empty lap and shook his head. "Crazy Kids," he muttered, switching the channel to what he wanted to watch.

Ruse and Zany soon found John – who was better known as Pyro, since he could control fire.

"John! John! Come play!" Zany cried. "I got my best friend back! She came John! She came!"

John laughed. "I can see that." He smiled at Ruse. "Hiya."

"Hi!" Ruse smiled back. "I'm Ruse."

"I'm John, or Pyro."

"I like Pyro," Ruse stated.

"Then yah can call me Pyro," John told her. "Now, what are we gonna play?"

"Hide n seek! Hide n seek!" Both kids shrieked.

John just laughed. "All right. All right. I'll count first; go hide."

Ruse and Zany both took off to hide together, seeing as Ruse had no idea as to how to find her way around the school just yet – she'd only been there one afternoon, after all.

Much later, after playing hide n seek for what seemed to be forever, it was time for all the younger children to go to bed. Logan had found the three, and told them it was time for Ruse and Zany to go to bed. Obviously, Ruse had missed her appointment with the Professor – but the Professor had told Logan telepathically to let the child play.

"Bedtime Kid," Logan told Ruse. "It's the rules 'round here."

"Dumb rules," Zany grumbled.

"Pyro!" Ruse called, as John had started to walk away. "Will you come? Please?"

"Sure," John agreed, coming back over to them.

"C'n Zany sleep in my room?" Ruse asked Logan hopefully, casting pleading green eyes upon him.

"Sure Kid," Logan agreed, wanting to keep her happy. He liked it better when she was that way, rather than upset and crying.

"C'n Pyro read us a story?" Ruse questioned.

"If he'd like," Logan nodded, as they reached her room. "Go get your pajamas, Zany."

Zany nodded and took off down the hall with Pyro, in case he needed help with anything.

Logan led Ruse into her room, and took a pair of pajamas out of the dresser drawer. "Here. Rogue said yah can have these 'till we get yah some clothes."

"Kay!" Ruse grinned, liking the red pajamas with the yellow ducks on them. She quickly chanced and hopped into bed, as Logan had pulled the covers back for her. "Zany bringin' da story?"

"I think so," Logan replied. "If not, I'm sure John can make one up."

Just then, John and Zany appeared in the doorway.

"Ready for that story?" John asked. He'd only agreed to this, as he'd a feeling something was troubling Ruse, and she was trying to forget it.

"Yes!" Ruse squealed, as Zany jumped up onto her bed.

Logan covered Ruse and Zany both up, once they were under the covers. He couldn't help but smirk slightly, when Ruse snuggled up close to Zany. "Good idea to stake claim on him," he commented. "He might zap outta here on yah otherwise."

Both children giggled, as John lay next to Ruse on her left side.

John let Ruse snuggled into him as well, then opened the book him and Zany had found – Zany had insisted that it was Ruse's favourite.

"Ninja Turtles!" Ruse exclaimed delightedly, once realizing what it was John and Zany had found.

Logan chuckled to himself as he left the room, closing the door behind him, as John began to read.

A.N.: Well…whatcha think? Was it just me or did this one seem shorter than the rest? Lol. Well, hope yah enjoyed it anyway! Plz R&R! Thank-you!