Chapter One

Bayville Times

Man Viciously Attacked and Killed by Wild Animal

Last night Bayville police stumbled onto the body of fourty-five-year-old Dick Chance, who had been killed by an animal in an alley off of Grace Avenue. Investigators found the body clutching tufts of black fur, and further studies revealed it to be that of a Panthera pardus, a black panther. Police Chief Mark Bates warns Bayville residents to be on their guard, especially when out after dark, and has ordered an increased patrol to protect the citizens. So the question is, where did this animal come from and who set it loose on the streets of Bayville?

Sixteen-year-old Charlotte glared at the offending newspaper and shoved it aside, digging into a honey bun she had just lifted off a gas station. The attendant had been bewildered when he chased the blond around a corner into a dead-end alley and she had dissapeared without a trace. But of course, the mutant teen had just transformed into the panther and carted the food away. Now she sat beneath an old bridge, staring balefully at the headline on the paper as she licked the plastic wrapper clean. Then she tossed them both into a patch of dead grass and strode out from under the bridge, letting the sun warm her dirty face as she ran her fingers through her matted hair. But just as she began to shift once more to try and find something else to eat, someone shouted and she spun around to see a group of teens staring at what was now a large scrawny feline. With an angry hiss at being sighted Charlotte dashed off, her muscled legs propelling her forward away from the kids, who immediately chased after her.

"Wait!" one shouted, but the girl didn't heed the call and continued running, bounding easily over the rough terrain. They would never catch her.

Until she ran into something solid that appeared right in front of her eyes in a cloud of dark smoke. The scent of brimstone surrounded her and with a startled yowl she stumbled back onto her haunches, blinking up at the raven-haired boy standing over her. Seconds later the others caught up and surrounded the two, and with a defensive snarl Charlotte shifted into a bristling defensive postion.

"Easy," the tallest of the boys soothed, backing up a step and holding his hands up in front of him, palms out. The others followed his lead, and Charlotte watched on warily.

-Who are you?- She growled at them, her voice echoing in their heads like it did every time she was in animal form. It took them a minute to realize that the disembodied voice was coming from her, but when she finally shifted human and repeated the question they visibly relaxed.

"My name's Scott Summers," the tallest boy replied, holding his hand out for her to shake. But she just stared at him warily, so he continued. "We're mutants, just like you."

"My name is Kurt Wangner," the guy behind her piped up, his pale face breaking out in a giant grin. He was the one who had magically appeared right in front of her.

"Charlotte," the blond muttered reluctantly as each of the other teenagers introduced themselves; she wasn't used to this kind of interaction with other people.

There was Kitty, a bubbly phaser, Jean Grey the telepath, Evan, who was also known as Spyke the human porcupine, and Rogue, who could steal a person's life force and power through a touch. After the goth girl introduced herself, Charlotte took a slight step back.

"Were you the one the paper was talking about this morning?" Jean asked as the blond teen sized up Evan. He had a skateboard tucked under his coffee-colored arm and a lopsided grin on his face. After meeting her gaze he began sprouting vicous-looking spikes out the side of his neck.

"Yeah," Charlotte finally replied, fingering a nasty bruise on the back of her jaw just below her ear. Her short pixie hair cut did nothing to hide it from the other mutant's prying eyes. "He tried to beat me."

"That wasn't any excuse to murder him," Scott told her, trying to be gentle. But the lanky blond growled softly under her breath and spat back, "There's no law against self-protection."

They had no answer to that.

"Maybe you should come back with us," Spyke offered after an awkward silence. "Professor Xavier would take care of you."

She was silent as she contemplated his offer, and then the image of a nice warm bed and actual food flooded her mind. "I guess I'll come check it out," she finally admitted reluctantly.

Kurt beamed widely and tossed his arm around her shoulders like they'd been friends for years as they all turned to head for Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Charlie had to admit to herself that the friendly weight was kind of comforting...