Welcome one, welcome all. Thank you very much for clicking on this story.

This is my first fic for the X-men (movie) franchise.

Therefore I hope you will all enjoy and any form of feedback is always appreciated.

Have a great day!


Chapter 1 - Old and new acquaintances


The plane shook and rumbled as it got hit by some minor turbulence. No matter how often she travelled, flying was up to this day her least favourite form of transportation. But her uneasiness wasn't necessarily caused by being inside an aluminian sardine can. No, that was due to something else entirely.

Staring at the photographs in her lap, Moira MacTaggart nervously bit her thumbnail. The picture was that of Colonel Robert Hendry. Normally it would be impossible for a picture to make her nervous but this time it did, although it wasn't really the man who caused her to feel on edge. It was the mystery surrounding him.

Encountering the colonel was something she had not been expecting. She'd been watching the grand building, known as the Hellfire club, for weeks and seeing him there had made her even more suspicious of the place. After entering the club, dressed only in her undergarments, following Hendry had become her a new priority.

And that's when a sequence of unexpected things happened. Such as Hendry vanishing from a booth, which turned out to be a simple trick done with but the push of a button. Moira had then found herself in a rather large office, which at first glance might have seemed like a fancy workplace and even she would have thought so if it hadn't been for the muffled noises coming from behind a couple of bookcases.

A lounge area, hidden out of sight and it was there she found Colonel Hendry, only he hadn't been alone. But that wasn't the reason for Moira's current distress. No, it was Robert Hendry's sudden disappearance into thin air thanks to a creature, who could only be described as the devil himself. If that hadn't been enough, there had also been a beautiful blonde whose skin had become as clear and sparkling as the brightest diamond.

If Moira hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she probably wouldn't have believed it at all. Most likely she would have been incredibly sceptical about it. But she had been there and she had seen it with her own eyes. Thus there was no denying it.

Genetic mutation.

That was what he had called it and the word had stuck with her for the remainder of the day. The first thing she did after getting out of Hellfire, was contacting her supervisor to inform him on spotting Colonel Hendry at the club. But when she spoke to CIA director, John McCone, he informed her that Hendry was right there with him.

There were strange forces at work, things she couldn't explain herself. But she knew she wasn't mad and that what she had seen was very real. After all, being a CIA agent meant encountering the odd thing once in a while, and this was no exception.

The woman wanted answers. She needed them in order to solve her case. Honestly she wasn't sure what she was getting herself into, but that was exactly the reason why she was currently over 30.000 feet up in the air.

Moira hoped that arriving in England could provide her with the answers she was looking for. But first she had one other stop to make before heading to Oxford University.


London, England.

Stepping out of the black cab, the auburn haired woman tilted her head back to look at the building in front of her. It had been a quiet ride from the airport to the city, so peaceful in fact, that Moira managed to shut her eyes for a while. She would need all the energy in order to succeed with the next step in her plan. It would have been easier to wait a day due to the jet-lag setting in, but time was something she didn't have.

Moira walked up to the dark green coloured door, checked the number twice, before finally raising her arm and pressing the little golden button with her index finger. A loud ring sounded from the other side and quickly she took a deep breath in as she heard keys jingle and the a distinctive click of a lock turning.

After a few nerve wrecking seconds the door finally opened up, revealing a tall woman with caramel coloured hair which was tied in a messy braid and tossed over one shoulder. She looked Moira up and down observing her carefully. Finally she blinked and ran a hand across her face, letting out a deep groan in the process.

"How on Earth did you find me?" She said with an obvious hint of frustration.

Moira smiled at her. "The CIA never reveals their secrets." She explained as the upper right corner of her mouth twitched mischievously.

"Brilliant."

Moira's smile disappeared and her expression turned serious. "I need your help, Ann."

"Oh? I never would have guessed that in a million years."

A blush crept over the agent's face. It was more than obvious why she was there. It made no sense to deny it. The two of them were mainly acquainted with each other because Ann had helped Moira out in the past. Perhaps if the circumstances were different they could have been good friends, but seeing as Ann didn't even live on the same continent as her most of the time, it made things a little difficult.

"May I come in?" Moira asked politely.

The other woman didn't move immediately, her face contorted slightly as she was contemplating on what to do next. Eventually and without giving any form of verbal consent, Ann stepped aside and waited for Moira to walk in.

"Thank you." She replied.

"Don't be getting any ideas now. I'm only letting you come in. I haven't agreed to anything yet."

Shutting the door behind her, Ann led Moira up the stairs until they entered a small hallway. Almost everything was white. The floorboards, the walls. Except for a long narrow shaped Persian rug which started at the top of the steps and went all the way down the hall.

"Tea?" Ann asked.

Moira nodded, though she was more in the mood for a strong cup of coffee, but the last thing she wanted was to get on the woman's bad side. Showing up unannounced was already causing her to tread on thin ice.

As Ann set a golden kettle on the fire, Moira sat down at a small circular table positioned in the corner of the kitchen. "This is a lovely place,-" She commented.

"Why are you here, Moira?" Ann was obviously not in the mood for any form of small talk.

Moira looked up at the other woman for a second, but then lowered her head to rummage in her purse. She pulled out a set of pictures. Photographs of the Hellfire Club, Colonel Hendry and a couple of other faces. She extended her arm and held them out to Ann, who walked over and let her eyes roam over the images.

Quietly she took them from Moira. "This looks familiar." She said looking at the picture of the club.

The CIA agent nodded. "It's the place where you told me to look regarding those communists."

"And did you find them?"

Moira shifted in her seat. "I found something more important. Something,- strange."

The other woman pursed her lips. "Must be pretty strange, considering you were willing to fly across an ocean to meet up with me."

"I wouldn't be here unless I really needed your opinion on this."

"That all you want, then? My opinion?"

"Ann-"

But Ann handed her the pictures and returned her attention to the kettle. Moira puffed her cheeks, rubbed her hands together and let out a deep breath. She did really want her thoughts on the matter. If it hadn't been for what she'd seen at Hellfire, she probably would have skipped a visit to Ann and headed straight to Oxford instead.

It was difficult to explain, but every time she asked Ann for help, she was never disappointed. Ann always knew what to say in order for Moira to solve most of her cases. Though being slightly amazed on how she did it every time, Moira had always brushed it off as Ann simply being a very observant and intelligent woman. Providing a fresh look on things which she had probably missed to see for herself in the first place.

"Milk?"

"No, thank you." Moira smiled and took a white porcelain cup adorned with flowers from Ann.

In the past she had commented about the girl being some sort of psychic. Like those gypsy women you would find in small shops staring into a crystal ball predicting your future. Though Ann didn't have a ball, nor did she look like a gypsy. But after what happened at the Hellfire club, Moira was beginning to wonder certain things about her familiar contact.

Sitting down across from her, the agent noticed Ann glancing at the pictures once more. Clearing her throat, she nodded at the one of Hendry. "That's Colonel Robert Hendry of the U.S army. I encountered him rather unexpectedly at the club."

Ann looked up with her turquoise eyes. "You know him?"

"Not personally."

"Is he the reason why you're here?" The woman asked raising her cup towards her lips and blowing on the hot liquid.

"Partially." Moira admitted. "I'm also here to attend a lecture at Oxford University."

"A lecture on?"

"Genetic mutation."

Ann paused and lowered her tea, her brow furrowing. "Why?"

Moira set her drink down and folded her hands together. "Because of what I saw at the club."

Once more Ann glanced down at the photograph, then she nodded. "Alright. I'm listening."

The agent relaxed her shoulders a little, happy that she was willing to listen to her. But another feeling hit Moira, a slight worry, that her newly found suspicion of what Ann could be was true. Of course she wasn't sure and she didn't have any real form of physical proof. But it was rather miraculous that Ann would always be able to sent her in the right direction of who or whatever she was looking for.

"I know this is going to sound crazy. Insane even. But what I'm about to tell you, I saw it with my own two eyes." Moira leaned forward and let out a chuckle. "I still don't fully believe what I saw, it's rather,-" The auburn haired woman paused, catching the look of frustration Ann was currently giving her.

"Sorry." She apologized and quickly continued. "What happened is that I found Colonel Hendry in a hidden part of the club. I can't go into details unfortunately what was discussed in there. But the thing that I wanted to tell you about is that he suddenly disappeared into thin air, right before my very eyes."

Ann arched an eyebrow. "Disappeared?"

"There was a man. A man with skin as red as a ripe tomato, dark hair and...a tail."

Moira stopped and watched the woman across from her closely for a reaction. But it seemed that she had the same sort of response which Moira had had when she first saw the demon-like creature. Confusion and disbelief.

"A tail?" Ann repeated, the agent nodded and went on with her story.

"There was another person. A woman whose skin changed into crystal and sparkled like diamonds. However it was this red skinned man, who grabbed hold of Hendry and together they vanished just like that." Moira snapped her fingers. "Next thing I'm on the phone with my boss and Hendry is right there with him. In the Pentagon. But I was in Vegas, Ann!"

Ann stared at her quietly, her face still showing a puzzled expression. Didn't she believe her? Not even a little? Her eyes moved to the table and she grabbed the picture of Hendry.

"You don't believe me." Moira concluded.

But Ann pressed her lips together. "I'm not sure why you came all this way if all you want is my mere opinion, Moira." She stood up and walked away, leaving her cup of tea which was still full on the table. "Obviously the lecture you're planning to attend will be able to help you out far more than I possibly can."

Moira jolted forward and wrapped her hand around Ann's lower arm. "Because, because...I want you to tell me I'm not crazy. That there are people out there, like them. People who can do things that the average human can not."

The real reason was of course because Moira had a suspicion that Ann was like those supernatural beings. But she couldn't say that. How could she? Ann, I think you might have a genetic mutation as well?

What she was really hoping for was that her story, about Hendry and the red devil, would provide the other woman with an opportunity to tell the truth about herself.

"I think you should leave now." Ann said coldly.

"Do you believe me?" Moira tried again.

"I'm not saying I don't believe you." Slowly she retracted her arm and took a step back. "But I don't know what it is that you really want to hear from me. Please,-"

Raising hand, she pointed at the hallway with the Persian rug, indicating once again that she wanted Moira to leave her house. Without replying, the agent grabbed her purse and walked past Ann quietly. But once they reached the downstairs and Moira stepped outside onto the street, she halted and turned her head.

"I'll be staying at the Randolph hotel in Oxford for at least two more days. If you want to catch up. As a friend."

For a moment Ann's expression softened, but no more than that. She shut the door and placed her hand against it, waiting patiently until she sensed Moira walking away from her house.

She felt guilty for talking to Moira the way she'd done. She liked the woman, she really did. But this, this was too close for comfort. Too close to her personal life. Ann stepped back and wiped one of her cheeks with the back of her hand. There were others like her out there.

But the way Moira had describe them was unlike how she viewed herself. Scary and menacing freaks. A devil and a woman made out of glass? She had no desire to be associated with people like that. If Moira knew she was like them, then there might come a time more people would. And that was something she didn't want to see happen.


Oxford, England

Her late morning meeting with Ann still plagued her mind, but she had to focus on the task at hand. The chances of Ann coming around and meeting her before she would leave for America was probably zero to none. It was her own fault, she should have been blunt and more direct instead of avoiding the main reason for her visit. But now it seemed it was too late.

She could only hope that meeting Charles Xavier would be different. She had enjoyed his presentation of genetic mutation and the way he'd spoken about the subject, made Moira belief she was going to have more luck with him. He was a man of science after all, surely he would not slam a door in her face. But he might do something else.

Moira watched said man from across the bar. He was currently standing on top of a table, drinking an insane amount of beer in the most odd looking glass she had ever seen in her life, while others were cheering him on. How was she ever going to get to him and discuss her questions, if the guy was going to be drunk and surrounded by that many people?

Finally the crowd clapped and Charles Xavier let out a loud yell of victory. No resemblance to the man she'd listened to earlier whatsoever. The agent let out an exasperated breath and pushed herself off her stool, making her way forward towards the man before anyone else could.

"Congratulations, Professor. On your presentation." She spoke loudly extending her hand quickly. "Moira MacTaggert."

"Oh, you were at my presentation? How nice of you." He grabbed her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Charles Xavier."

"Do you have a minute?"

It was clear that he had. He smiled warmly, his eyes glazed over due to the amount of alcohol she assumed. He hooked his hand in her elbow and guided her to a table, making various comment on her hair. She could already tell this was going to become a struggle.

Nonetheless she tried her best to at least get across why she was there and what she wanted to discuss with him. At first it seemed her words were falling on deaf ears as Charles Xavier's casually leaned his chin on his hand, rubbing his temple with two fingers as if trying to stay awake.

"Professor?" Moira asked after a while.

She needed his help. Already she had travelled to London for nought after Ann's rejection today. She didn't want to go back to America empty handed. Maybe she could go back tomorrow and talk to her once more?

"Perhaps it's best if we talk about this in the morning?" She eventually said.

But Charles Xavier looked rather awake all of a sudden. His eyes searching hers. "Something tells me you already know the answer to your question."

She wasn't sure what he meant with that. It was a very weird reply to what she'd just said, unless he was referring to something else. Moira shifted in her chair. "In that case, we'll meet up in the morning."

She was about to stand up but Charles placed his hand over hers unexpectedly. Moira blinked at looked up at him, even more surprised at what he was about to ask her.

"Would you mind if we went to London tomorrow? I know this great place where we can discuss anything you want to over a nice lunch."


I hope you all enjoyed that first chapter and are willing to give the second one a chance.

Until next time!