Boston, Massachusetts.

As the weekly meeting drew to a close, Tyler Dawes was riding high on emotions. Among them were anger and hatred. There was something else, too, a sense of doubt perhaps? If there was, it was overlooked as he turned his attention towards the speaker.

"Mutants will take all we have," the speaker went on, "Our lives, our homes, the ones we love..."

He was right, there was no disagreement. But he was correct in a way that Tyler nor anyone else realized. Their hatred for mutants controlled their lives, and their every action; it came home with them after every one of these meetings, and like a disease, this prejudice spread to those closest to them.

"In New Jersey, for example, mutant terrorists derailed a train...." the crowd cried out in displeasure as the speaker continued. He wasn't particularly good with words but he understood how to use people's emotions to make them believe in a cause.

"Mutants must die!" He screamed out. The crowd cheered in response, shouting racial slurs. They were united, unfortunately, by hatred.

"And why is it our responsibility to make sure that every last one of them dies?!" A smile crept across the speakers face as the crowed yelled out their response.

"Because we are the Friends of Humanity!!" One hundred voices called out in unison, the words rising out of their building, cutting through the warm night air.

End Prologue

Three teenagers walked side by side on a sidewalk in downtown Boston. They were just like any other teenagers...well, almost. They were blessed and cursed with a little something extra, for they were mutants. They tried not to glance at the local "chapter" of the Friends of Humanity, but all the shouting made that a little difficult.

"Just ignore them," Everett said quietly.

"I'll do that Ev, as soon as they shut up," Jubilee said, trying not to sound as angry as she was.

Paige said nothing and walked silently. Joelle is like them, she thought. Maybe not as malicious or hateful, but still like the FOH. She'll never know what it's like to walk down the street and hear someone yell a curse, and wonder if it's you that they're talking about. She wished her sister could understand, maybe someday she would.

"Rad," Jubilee said as they approached the local music store. "Be right back, I'll only be gone for a minute!."

Yeah, right. Paige thought, And Monet only takes 'a minute' to get ready. Everett glanced at Paige, shrugged his shoulders and the three of them went inside.

End Prologue Two

The doors of the FOH opened, teenagers and adults poured out. Some were laughing, some were talking, they all thought they were happy. They weren't; no one can be truly happy when they carry so much hatred in their hearts, but they had been taught that hatred was a part of life, a part of them. No one ever told them it didn't have to be that way.

"Tyler!" A voice called out. "Wait up!"

Tyler paused and waited for his friend to catch up.

"Didja hear about Ali's party tomorrow?" his friend asked.

"Yeah, I was just goin' over to the Media Play to get her a CD."

"Cool. So you're going?"

"Miss one of Ali's party's? You have got to be kidding."

"For real," the boy said grinning. "Well, See ya later Ty." He waved and walked off.

Tyler walked down the street to the music store. He went inside and headed toward the CD section. As he walked past the "Collective Soul" display, he saw someone and nearly ran into the wall. He was looking at an angel as far as he was concerned. Tall, slender, blonde hair, big blue eyes; this was the girl of his dreams. Ty knew that you only meet someone like this once in a life- time, he was going to talk to her. He wasn't worried about it either. He was the most popular guy at school, everybody loved him.

"Hi," he said, walking towards her.

Paige glanced up at the voice.

She smiled and glanced around, making sure he was talking to her, then said, "Uh, hi."

"Did you see them in concert last week?" He asked, motioning towards the display.

"Uhh..no Ah...I," she repeated, correcting her accent, "Didn't get to see them, I had finals."

"Finals?" he asked. "It's July."

"I go to a private school."

"All year? What kind of a school is that?"

One for mutants, she thought dryly. "A very tough one."

"Oh....well, it's just that you looked like someone I saw at the concert."

I'll bet, Paige thought. That is the oldest pick-up line in the world.

"Sorry, not me."

He nodded his head.

But he's pretty cute and comes with the lower half of his face. Paige instantly regretted the thought, she knew she liked Jonothan, she was just upset that he was ignoring every attempt of friendship she had offered. Paige continued with this conversation, obviously designed to end in a date. After a few minutes he finally popped the question:

"Well, would you like to," he paused clearing his throat, "go across the street and get a burger?"

"How could we talk?" Paige asked, "You never told me your name."

"Oh... that's pretty dumb, sorry. I'm Tyler Dawes," he said, offering his hand.

"Paige Guthire. Sure, why not." She took his hand and shook it briefly.

And of course at a time like this Jubilee would show up, as if on cue.

"Hayseed! Where are ya goin'? Were supposed to meet Angelo and Jonothan in a few."

Paige resisted the urge to strangle Jubilee for what she implied, but instead smiled sweetly.

"J this is Tyler. We were gonna go get a burger or something, I'll catch up to ya'll later."

"Oh sure, Guthire you do that. Just don't start peelin' in front of company,"

Paige's jaw dropped. How could she hint so much at my powers in public!

"Ok, Jubilee."

"If looks could kill..." Jubilee muttered as she walked toward Ev.

"Peel?" Tyler asked, not sure what that was supposed to mean.

"Uh...just a sunburn." Paige said quickly.

Tyler didn't seem notice her evenly colored skin.

"Heck, it's only three bucks."

So they slid into a booth across from each other. They started out with the usual small talk.

"So where did you say you went to school?"

Mutant High. "The Massachusetts Academy."

"Really? Never heard of it."

How could you have? "Its out in Snow Valley- real strict entrance requirements."

"So ya gotta be real smart?" he asked, smiling.

"Well, that's part of it," she lied.

"Hmmm. So it's all year? Do you have dorms and everything?"

"Yeah, the girls dorm got bl--it's under construction." D'OH! Yeah, that's right gal, tell 'em the dorm got blown up, smooth.

"Big school?"

"Nah, not really, just about 100 of us." 100 of us divided by 10, maybe, but how many schools have ten students?

"Out in Snow Valley, huh? So do you get to come out in the civilized area much?" Tyler joked.

"Not as much as we'd like...So how boutcha self? Where do you go to school?"

"Tates Creek High, it'll be a junior."

The conversation continued, getting more in depth, they talked about their future plans, about their families, about everything. They also found out that they really liked each other and had similar interests. Paige knew she would always like Chamber, but this guy was nice just for a friend. Before they realized it, it had been several hours, and the restaurant had emptied out.

"Ohmigosh!" Paige said quickly as one word. "I totally forgot 'bout meetin' my friends. Ban-- *achem* Sean is gonna kill me! I gotta go!"

"Sean as in boyfriend Sean?" Tyler asked, wondering why she hadn't told him.

Paige laughed. "No Sean as in Headmaster Sean."

Then Tyler said skeptically, "You call your Headmaster by first name?"

"He's a nice guy, 'Sir' and 'Mr.' make him feel old....I gotta go, I had a great time Ty."

"Yeah me too, Paige. Let me walk you to where ever your supposed to go."

"You don't need to, its not that far to the Opera House."

"Opera?"

"Sean wants to cultivate us, every trip to Boston equals an educational field trip."

"Oh, well, I'll walk ya. You can blame being late on me."

Paige smiled as they walked out. On the door was a "Vote Creed '96" campaign add. Paige sighed, "That Creed..."- 'Makes mo so angry ' is what she was going to say, but didn't have the chance.

"I think Creed is exactly what this country needs."

"WHAT?" Paige exclaimed, surprised that someone like Tyler could be for Creed.

"You don't like Creed?" Tyler asked surprised that someone like Paige could be against Creed.

Oh, boy. Its now or nevah gal.

"No, I don't. He's a blind fool."

"Fool? Creed? He's brilliant! Haven't you heard his 'Zero-Tolerance' plans? If those go smoothly all mutants will be gone by 2010!"

"Exactly."

"Are you a mutie lover Paige?" He asked in disbelief.

Page said slowly, "Well, I can't say I love 'em, but they're people too!"

But their conversation came to a halt as two men stepped out of the shadows, "Hate to interrupt ya kids, but do you think you could spare us all yer valuables. Ya know wallets, jewelry, plastics; everything."

Paige laughed, causing Ty to stare at her. These guys only had a knife, they were too easy compared to what she was used to. Paige easily disarmed the first man of his knife and turned for the second. He would have been just as easy, unfortunately for Paige, he had a gun.

"Girl, ya coulda walked away minus a few bucks, now yer gonna have to be carried away by the coroner."

Despite their argument, despite the fact that they didn't really know each other, Tyler stepped protectively in front of Paige.

"Stay back, Paige. He's more'n you can handle."

Paige grabbed Tyler by the arm and quickly stepped in front of him. "No Tyler this is more than you can handle."

The man leveled his gun at Paige. The next sound Tyler expected was the gunshot that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Instead it was something entirely different. But still, it would haunt him forever.
SHHHRRRRIIIPPPP.

It was the sound of flesh tearing, a sucking noise of skin being ripped from your bones, of something horrible.

Then came the gunshot.

"Oh holy --" the man stopped, turned and ran, pulling up his fallen friend. The two ran down the dark ally. Tyler looked down. Paige lay on her knees doubled over, moaning softly.

"Paige!" He tore off his t-shirt to wrap around her wound, but suddenly noticing that there was no wound, no blood. No blood anywhere. Paige stood up abruptly, backing towards the shadows. In that brief instant, Tyler noticed several things scattered on the ally street. Her clothes and something more, for there was too much lay on the ground. And her body shone in the street light. It was not a flesh color. It was metallic, silverish. Steel.

He stared at the shadows where she had stumbled to. He heard a noise. Metal dropping to the cement. He heard rapid footfalls.

He lunged for the shadows, but she was gone.

"Paige wait!"

His hand came to rest on something burning hot. He held it up into the light. It was a bullet. He looked at the ground, at the piles of something, clothes, and a pile of what looked like shredded bed clothes. It was that, that frightened him the most. The proof of what he feared. This girl. The beautiful, smart, funny girl whom he spent the evening with was something horrible. A mutant. He couldn't muster up the feelings of anger and hatred that were at his command hours ago. Now all he felt was the one emotion that had been quietly calling. Doubt. She saved his life, she was no less a person than he. Tyler doubts. He doubts.

Paige runs down the street, a tear streams down her now-steel cheek. She probably lost a friend today, one she barely gained. But deep inside she knows that she planted a seed, something to lessen a part of the anti-mutant hysteria. It was a step. One small step.

-Fini