Author's Note: I'm sort of a fan of the Twilight saga, I'll admit it. So it means you might see a few references throughout my story. I guess it depends on whether or not you're into Twilight. Anyway, in other news, I'm afraid that my new creations aren't growing up fast enough for them to end up where I want them to be in the next chapter, so I'm warning you now that I'm going to be skipping over, like, ten years between this chapter and the next (which is green). Most of the scenes I've got going on in my head take place when they're all teenagers and, well, I don't have an infinite number of colors to work with. Let me know if that doesn't settle well with you and I'll try and find some way to fix it.

Music Suggestions: 'Consider this' by Anna Nalick, 'Come back around' by Feeder, 'Annie' by Safetysuit, 'Shallow bay' by Breaking Benjamin.

Disclaimer: If this were a permit, it'd long be expired. Can't afford to keep up with it. I don't own Dark Angel.

Yellow

Max honestly couldn't believe what she was seeing. Or hearing, for that matter.

"Mom, I want to go to school with Mason." Pandora stated seriously, pushing her food aside and folding her hands neatly on the kitchen table. Chase and Cameron sat to either side of her in booster seats trying to throw their food at each other, oblivious to the change in mood. Sebastian's head jerked up, his fascination with pushing his food around his plate forgotten.

Max turned slightly in her seat to look at Alec, who shrugged unknowingly. This was something coming from left field, something she never expected. They had their own trans-human school system set up and running rather efficiently. It was more conductive and hard-wired to subjects a transgenic with enhanced abilities should be learning. Not to mention, no child should have to put up with the alienation and suffering they would no doubt receive should their identity be discovered in an ordinary school. And thankfully, no need for ugly yellow school buses from the late 20th century the rest of the country claimed to need.

It wasn't completely unheard of, transgenics attending public school with the ordinaries. In fact, Logan was one of the primary ring-leaders when it came to enrolling their transgenic children under false pretenses as had been the case before their trans-human school had been set up.

Pandora, Mason, and Sebastian were the closest knit group of friends ever known to grace transgenic central, so Max should have expected this. But Pandora and Sebastian had been attending, aptly named, Transgenic Central for almost a year and two years respectively with no complaints.

So, what the hell? No, not even. After a thought, she didn't even need an explanation. The answer was still going to be the same.

"No." Max said shortly, not even looking to Alec for confirmation.

Alec merely shrugged his shoulders uselessly and continued eating. He honestly didn't see the problem where Pandora went to school, as long as she went. And she had Sebastian to stand guard at her back. He knew the boy wouldn't be adverse to the suggestion. He could already see that Sebastian was like him when it came to Max. He could only hope it didn't annoy his daughter nearly as much as it had Max.

"But you didn't even ask me why...?" Pandora began to argue weakly before Max interrupted succinctly.

"No."

And that quite obviously was the end of the discussion. Pandora's eyes narrowed and an eyebrow twitched angrily as she shoved back her chair almost calmly. The threat was clear in her eyes as she stepped away from the chair and pushed it back under the table.

This wasn't over.

oooouooooso*oooonooooo*

Chase and Cameron were sitting at opposite ends of a rusted out and abandoned yellow rowboat when Pandora happened upon them a few days later. Her mother had refused to let her go to school with Mason. What could be so bad about it? It was barely into the Fall semester, it wouldn't be hard to make up at all. From what Mason had told her, it sounded just like the school she went to, granting the whole secrecy bit. But that didn't really bother her all that much. Also, the company would be better because while hanging around with Sebastian and the rest of her kind was alright, she felt closer to Mason–kind of like he understood her better. Which, in all honesty, made no sense considering he wasn't even transgenic.

But he was always open with her. Whenever something confused him, irritated him, or just plain disturbed him she was the first to know about it. She liked being someone's confidant. Being needed. Sebastian didn't necessarily kept secrets from her, but she always felt as if he were on guard with her. She didn't try and take it real personal–he did it with everyone. It just hurt sometimes that he didn't trust her like Mason did.

Besides, she was sure Sebastian would tag along anyway.

Case in point, she was going to go to school with Mason. She just needed to figure out how...she needed leverage.

And it was her brothers' conversation that had caught her attention as she ambled along with her thoughts. It almost reminded her of something. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"...I love pickles." Cameron finished, speaking around a mouthful of the pickle he'd just bitten into.

"I'll give you my pickle for a nickel." Chase stated seriously, holding the pickle out slightly for Cameron to inspect.

Cameron sat forward slightly, examining the pickle. Nodding firmly in approval, he dug around in his pocket for the change. He then held out two pennies for his brother.

"How about two cents?" Cameron negotiated, eyebrows raised slightly.

"Okay." Chase said brightly after a moment's consideration, handing the pickle over two his brother. Cameron handed over the change and took the pickle, holding one in each hand and started waving them back and forth victoriously.

Pandora decided to interrupt before he burst into song or some other nonsense.

"Hey there you two. What're you two troublemakers up to today?" Pandora taunted lightly, leaning over the middle of the boat and ruffling their hair with her hands. They both squealed happily at her nickname for them, even if she knew full well they were hardly ever up to much of anything, much less trouble.

They took after their mother like that, not any "fun" at all. Of course they were only three. Barely. It was still early. And, they could use a little of her...slightly less than angelic attitude when it came to fun. Such impressionable minds they had. Her mother would be furious.

If her mother wanted any manageable children left at all, she should just let Pandora have this one simple request. The plan had already formed in her mind. It had rained the day before and the park down the street was nothing but mud...

Her mouth twisted into a mischievous smirk that would have reminded anyone of Alec. There was no doubting the genetic background for this particular child.

Pandora couldn't wait to "corrupt" the twins.

"Nothing." Chase drew out slowly, looking at the two pennies in his hand as Cameron returned to eating his first pickle, oblivious to his sister's deviant plan. "Would you like to play with us?"

Cameron's eyes snapped up to hers excitedly, practically bouncing in his seat like an eager puppy.

"Please, Pandora?" Cameron begged in agreement, holding both pickles out to her. "You can have both my pickles if you do."

"I'll pass Cam, thanks." Pandora replied, her nose crinkling up slightly. No one understood her brother's almost obsessive like of the food. He was the only one in the family that did. "But I will play for awhile. In fact, I've got the greatest idea of what we could do..."

oooooxooozo*oooonooomo

Max honestly couldn't take this kind of pressure. And here she'd thought that she could deal with just about anything. She loved Alec, she really did, but she was about ready to kill him for all the influence and just plain genetic coding he'd given his daughter. His unruly, disobedient at practically every turn, mischievous yet charming daughter.

"Oh, Pandora." Max said in a exasperated voice, one hand rising to her forehead in an attempt to hide the sight before her. She should have known something was up. Pandora had been acting oddly for the past day or so, almost well-behaved. Alec had even been able to talk her into the most adorable yellow daisy sun dress to wear to the annual TC barbecue they held in the heart of TC as a fairwell to the summer weather.

This is what she got for hoping Pandora had given up on the "public school" idea. Not to mention getting her into the dress earlier than when they planned to leave.

Pandora stood before Max innocently, an eyebrow raised slightly...and covered head to toe in mud. It even dripped from the dress tauntingly.

Max drew a deep breath into her lungs as she looked skyward for a moment. Her gaze drifted back down to Pandora sternly.

"Pandora, how many times have I told you? I don't care if you want to roll around in the mud and muck, only that you change first." Max asked shortly. "And stop being such a bad influence on your brothers. I have enough trouble with you and your father."

Pandora merely smiled softly in response as if something amused her. Max was immediately wary.

Seconds later, Chase and Cameron ran around the corner from the same direction as Pandora had moments before. Shrieking playfully, they both ran past Pandora and Max and into the apartment hallway trying to sling mud at each other. If it were possible, they looked even worse off than Pandora. Max closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. As she did with Alec, she was about to give in. Even if she knew that it was the wrong decision.

"Alright, sweet. You'll start Monday."

oooouooono*oooosooomoo*

"Leave her alone." Mason said lowly, moving to stand in front of a tearful Pandora. It didn't matter who she was or how she was born, you didn't insult a girl. It shouldn't matter what she may or may not have done. His mother had taught him that from an early age.

Knowing Pandora practically from birth, Mason was the son of Logan and Asha. Having never moved from the building that straddled Terminal City, Asha had decided to move in with Logan soon after Pandora was born. After settling down and abandoning the resistance fighter life, it was discovered that Asha was actually a natural when it came to being a mother and full-time supporter of Eyes Only. They got married and had Mason barely a year later.

Being the baby of the group, he played alongside Pandora and Sebastian on a daily basis. More often than not, Sebastian and Pandora were forced to come and see him. Both his father's scientist contacts as well as the transgens' specialists were trying to find a way to build up immunities in the ordinaries so no one would have to worry about getting sick and dying. It was still a work in progress. And lately, he'd been seeing less of Sebastian. He was probably about as close to being what Sebastian would call a friend, but one could tell that Sebastian wasn't exactly enthusiastic about forming any more close ties after he lost his mother. But then again, Mason didn't care nearly as much about that as long as he still had Pandora around.

She was like a whirlwind in a world of stillness. Life was far from boring while living next door to the next step in the evolutionary chain, but Pandora was unlike any other. He could never get enough of her. Her presence alone could light up a room and whenever she moved, most times she was dragging him along right behind. He didn't know how his life would be without her endless energy. It was like he couldn't stop talking whenever she was near him. For the most part, he hardly talked at all. Couldn't really say he liked to do so all that much. Most of the people he knew, excluding his transgenic friends and family, were kind of rude and obnoxious anyway. But he loved speaking with Pandora. He knew that she wouldn't utter a word of it to anyone else if he asked her not to. And it brought them even closer as friends.

Even if she weren't his best friend, he wouldn't have walked away from this situation. He wasn't about to stand aside and do nothing. Didn't they have any respect at all? Sure the world they lived in wasn't exactly the best, but didn't that mean one should try and help another out when they were down? Instead they were still bashing and trash-talking what they didn't understand. Here they were, insulting her as if Pandora were some lesser being without any feelings, as if she wasn't feeling unsure and a little shy about her new surroundings. She'd only just started attending the week before.

Sadly, he realized too late the repercussions of what could happen should her true identity be discovered.

He understood trying to fit in with your peers, but one of the bullies in the group had hit a new low. Mason glared at Pogue, the tallest and most threatening boy in the quartet before him. The transgenic boy smiled back at him smugly. Mason couldn't believe the nerve the boy had, selling out one of his own. And only because she happened to be the slightest bit more well off and was close friends with Sebastian. Mason's lip curled slightly as he remembered all the veiled insults Pogue had directed at Pandora over the years. It figured he'd take the chance to up the ante once she was off of the home turf. Mason wasn't sure exactly what had been said this time to affect Pandora as it had, but it wasn't going to continue. Regardless of the odds.

"Who are you to stand up for that non-human?" Pogue mocked deliberately, knowing Mason and Pandora were friends as well. "It's not like it matters any. Go. Now. Before we have to hurt you."

"Go ahead and try." Mason replied in a menacing tone, falling into a semi-defensive pose. He may only be six years old, but growing up alongside a city chock-full of transgenics that could kick butt without breaking a sweat was bound to teach him a thing or two about self-defense.

Pogue almost rubbed his hands together gleefully at Mason's response. His eyes gleamed manically and a twisted smile curved his lips. "Well, we warned you."

The group began to advance forward towards Mason and Pandora when a voice sounded out from behind them. Mason even smiled slightly at the person behind the unsuspecting group before covering it up with a mask of indifference.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Sebastian quipped conversationally as he approached. "But are you gonna fight? 'Cause if you are, I want in on it as well. Been wanting a crack at him for years."

None of the ordinary bullies realized the 'him' was referring to Pogue rather than Mason. Although Mason rolled his eyes at Sebastian's play on words.

"Yeah, sure." one of the ordinary bullies replied, his tone light as he assumed their numbers to be increasing. Pogue, however, knew differently and his eyes widened slightly in recognition. He almost backed out of the fight because he knew where this was going. He took a chance though because his group outnumbered theirs, after all. However, how had he not known Sebastian was attending here as well? He should have known, even if he didn't shadow Pandora as he usually did.

And from the look on Sebastian's face as he passed by, there was now a 50/50 shot he was gonna get his ass handed to him despite the odds.

"Oh and by the way," Sebastian continued as he came to the forefront of the group, facing them with a dark threat glimmering in his eyes. "No one threatens my girl."

As it turns out, belittling a girl with two friends as loyal and well-practiced in self-defense as Sebastian and Mason wasn't always the best idea in the world. And that particular fact spread real fast.

oooonoooco*ooooxooomo*ooooozoooo

Wow, did Pandora really sound as evil as I thought she did at the beginning? (And there was a reference to The Little Rascals, in case anyone was wondering.) That really wasn't my intention. How was Mason? That was part of what took so long. I just could not get him into the chapter and adequately described. Guess I did a little too well with Sebastian. And I also realize that this chapter is all pretty much one big scene and doesn't move forward in time much, hence another reason for the time jump in the next chapter. Also, as I may have mentioned before, I have a big scene for green written, a gigantic blue chapter (which is another of those one big scene chapters), indigo sketched out for the most part, and a vague concept of violet. But you get what I'm saying, right? Anyway, should probably stop talking now and just let you all get on with life. Until next time...