Amber looked shyly at the very large very red mutant that had come to adopt her. She felt two things very distinctly and they warred for dominance within her. The first was fear because he was a very strange looking and very large mutant, plus the fact that she was pretty sure she had seen him on the news for some very not kind things. In fact, she wasn't certain but hadn't the people on the news said that he was one of the most dangerous mutants around?

There was the other feeling within Amber as well, however, and that was one of intense joy that she had been adopted. He wasn't at all like she expected her eventual guardian to be, in fact she couldn't think of anyone further from her ideal imaginings, but he was hers. He was here to adopt her and to make her one of his family. That other part of her self wanted to sing out loud at the shear joy behind the thought of finally having a family, something that she had longed for for her entire life.

As the last of the paperwork was signed, Amber remained meek and quiet, keeping her eyes downcast. Her eyes had only change a couple of weeks ago and anytime she ever let someone see them, they reacted in fear so she didn't like to meet people's eyes anymore. She wore her red cloak and veil in order to protect her sensitive skin from the sun. In fact, and the irony did not escape her, the shade was very close to that of her now legal adopted guardian. Amber didn't say a word to anyone, and especially not to Abyss himself, until after they had finally stepped foot outside of the only place she had ever known as home. It was a frightening prospect to go who knew where with a strange man that she would now have to rely on for her entire well being. A dream come true and a terrible nightmare all at the same time.

Abyss allowed the girl her silence and peace, he would break the silence when they got in the car.it was a smooth black Cadillac He pushed a button on a remote and the doors opened. another button and the car started. he stepped off the side walk and held the door for his new daughter. He wasn't sure what she would expect of him as a father, would she be like Aura and only expect food and protection and an occasional point in the right direction? regardless it would be better than the orphanage. he put her single case in the trunk for her, and then went around to the driver's side. he settled into the car and with a kind smile. he eased into traffic. he didn't mind the congestion in new york for the first time.

growing up , my parents gave me up to a psychiatric ward when I was twelve. I know what is like to live in a group home. I think that you will like your new home, there will still be plenty of younger people around, and you will have an older sister and six uncles. then there are the others that live with us that are just as close. as of today, you are in control of your own life as well, if you need or want anything, you must only let someone know. I am yours. twenty four hours a day from now on, if you need me you only have to let me know. as far as what I expect of you, is to decide what you want, I want to know you, but I am more than willing to give you any and all of the space and time you need. does that sound ok?" he realized that he was rambling a bit.

Amber followed Abyss nervously out of the orphanage doors and into the rather expensive looking car. Being an orphan she had seen such vehicles at a distance, but never in her wildest dreams ever expected to actually be inside of one. She eased herself into the front passenger seat, darting black eyes up to Abyss, the man who would now be, for all intents and purposes, her father. She then returned her gaze to her lap. What if he didn't' like her? What if she was a disappointment? Or even worse, what if he only wanted her for the powers she didn't' have?

When Abyss started talking, Amber listened in rapt, stunned silence. She remained silent for several seconds when he stopped speaking, unsure whether or not he was going to continue again. Only after she was certain he was done talking did she finally talk herself, voice quiet and tentative. "I'm going t-to have a s-sister and u-uncles?" She couldn't believe it. A family, a real live family.

"A-are they mutants too?" She wasn't sure if she hoped that they were of of she didn't. She still hadn't gotten used to the fact that she was a mutant. "I-I d-don't have any p-powers. J-just my eyes. I-if you want I-I can go b-b-back." Amber wasn't even sure why she had just admitted that. Maybe because being disappointed now, when everything was still so new, would be better than being disappointed later when she had become fully attached.

Answering her statement first, because it was more important. Oh Amber, no. that is not what this is about at all, I admit that I picked you because you were a mutant, but not because of a power you had or didn't. I know what it is to be a mutant among humans, you don't have to ever develop a power, but if you do we will be more ready for it than anybody else would. I want you to understand something right now. there is absolutely nothing you can do to make me send you back. you can be a wicked, spoiled, vile and disobedient child and you will still be mine. don't get me wrong I am not suggesting that you be any of those things, but you need to know this isn't something I am doing because I have to. I want to. and you are safe whoever you are and want to be.I won't force you to be anyone or do anything. I might not be the best parent, but I promise I will be here for you. as I said, I am at your disposal.

He slowed for a red light and got a chance to look to at the young girl I won't make you stay if you don't want to, but I would like you to give me a chance.I know you will like it if you do. and yes you have a sister, her name is Aura and is very close to your age, I adopted her as well. your uncles are actually a part of my mutation, they look the same as me though as you get to know them, you will find that they are only like me on the surface, they are very much their own people on the inside. ah you have two aunts as well, though one of your uncles and both of your aunts haven't been around and it may be quite some time before you get to meet them.

when we get home, we will pick out your own room and over the next few weeks we will shop and shop and shop until you have every thing you want, or if you try to not let me spoil you, then I will simply buy you things constantly and you can pick what to keep. he said the last part with a grin.

Amber barely contained tears of happiness as Abyss continued to speak to her. She hadn't been taken for her power and, more than that, he wanted her as a daughter just as much as she wanted to be one. He was offering her things she never thought she would ever have the opportunity to have for herself. He was an angel, a beautiful red mutant angel; either that or this was a dream and she would wake up any moment and, she was certain, if that happened then she really would cry.

"Y-y-you're all ready w-wonderful," Amber assured him. "I-I wouldn't want a-anyone else to be my f-f-father." A moment of horror went through her. What if he didn't want to be referred to as father? What if he wanted to be referred to as Abyss? Or something else entirely? How was she supposed to know what was right and proper? What if she did or said something wrong and ruined everything?

"I p-promise I'll be g-g-good. I-I won't do a-anything to get you into t-trouble. Y-you'll be p-proud of me." She vowed that it would be true. She could never repay this man's kindness for adopting her and bringing her into his family, never ever. She looked up from her hands directly at Abyss wanting, for perhaps the first time since her eyes had changed, him to actually see her eyes and see the conviction in them. She would be a good daughter, she'd do whatever he wanted her to do in order to show him that he had made a good choice. It was the least she could do.

Abyss smiled that's just it, daughter,you are already wonderful as well, you don't have to promise to be good. you can get in trouble. Your sister certainly does. I just expect you to be yourself, if you prefer to stay out of trouble that is fine, if I need to come and get you out of trouble that is fine too. I just want you to be you. I'm already proud. He looked into the girls dark eyes with his own crimson ones, he hoped she saw the warmth that he felt and not simply stuck there on the red orbs.

He patted her hand with his own large red one, and noted the green light pulling his hand away reluctantly. looks like I better drive before they start a horn blared behind him. honking. he finished with a laugh.

This wasn't really like the type of family she had always read about in books, was it? Amber was struck by the fact that most parents didn't go around saying that their children could get into trouble if they wanted to. As unusual as it was however, the she could see the authentic feeling behind it and it touched her profoundly. She didn't know how to express what she felt and could only hope that her eyes expressed it for her.

"D-do you th-think my s-sister will like me?" Amber asked. "W-what's she like? And w-what are the r-rest of them like. Are th-they m-m-mutants too?" For now, at least, some of Amber's worries were assuaged and she allowed some of her curiosity to peek through. She even managed to laugh, just a little, at the honking cars.

"Aura will like you quite a bit, I think that having more family will do her some good, as it will you.Having a sister I think may be good for you both. I'm not married, but there are plenty of women at the sanctuary, and I am sure that they will be able to fill in the gap of things I might not know. he paused and nodded yes, there is only one human that works at the sanctuary and she works as our receptionist, she is the only human I have really grown to trust, I will introduce you to Lisa. but its late, so we will do more tomorrow. for tonight we will get you settled.

Amber lapsed back into silence as she listened to Abyss talk about their soon to be home. Although looking forward to it, she was also apprehensive. Abyss was the only mutant she had ever met and now she was going to be living in a house full of mutants. "W-what are m-mutants like?" she asked. It was probably a stupid question but it was the one that was most on her mind right at that moment. It seemed important to know.

"A-are you the s-same person I saw on the n-news a while ago? They s-s-seemed to think you w-were d-dangerous b-but I th-think you're great." It was said with a hint of pride and the emotion was authentic. All ready she couldn't' think of having a better person to adopt her and she couldn't' wait to meet the rest of her family.

Mutants as a rule of thumb can be a bit reclusive, the majority of us have started out in a world that seems to want to punish us for being who we are, so the majority of us can come off as a bit off standish, but in the sanctuary its nice, because there is a certain amount of relief in that mutants are the only ones in there, so there isn't anything to be on guard for, no need to worry that someone is going to stare at you because you have a long red tail. at least not in a mean way, they might look, say at your eyes, and think they are neat or wish that their eyes were like yours instead of a boring brown or blue.

oh, I 've realized something else. the majority of the sanctuary paticularly the living areas are underground, so you won't have to worry about the sunlight while you are home. he sighs quietly sorry if I am to blunt, I don't mean to be.

"Someone m-might actually w-want my eyes? Why?" The very idea of it was stunning. They were the things that had made her so very miserable when they first appeared. People had stared at her before, because she was forced to dress as she did, but it was nothing compared to how they looked at her now. Before she was the odd one that no one wanted to talk to, but now she was the potentially dangerous mutant freak that should be feared less she do something dangerous and unpredictable. Not that she could, anyway.

"M-maybe I c-could get dark glasses or s-something to h-hide my eyes? Are p-people afraid of you?" Being underground was good. Life with such sensitive skin was a constant challenge for Amber, always having to worry about how long she remained outside and always having to cover up her entire body. By necessity she preferred to be active mostly at night but that had been difficult living in the orphanage when she was forced to work by the schedules of her guardians.

Well not literally, but figuratively of course. Just like my red skin, it is a way we physically announce who we are, are genes are something to be proud of and so we wear them in our eyes and on our flesh. There are plenty of mutants that wish they looked the part, and curse their human looks.

He nods to the second question. fear is a tricky thing, it can make people do foolish things, the trick is to make sure they do the foolish thing you want them to, in most cases run. But humans are right to fear us, just as they fear sharks, bears and anything else that has out classed them in evolution. It is natural. But then that is my opinion, I don’t expect you to agree or follow my line of thought, in fact I want you to follow your minds instincts.

Abyss drove carefully and as they neared the sanctuary he was sure to drive around the front pointing out the golden doors. there is our home, we’ll drive around back so you can be familiar with the garage as well.

Amber could hardly believe that someone would actually want to look like a freak. She could understand accepting what you were, maybe even finding a way to be proud of it, but to want to be so freakish that you couldn't help but stand out? She had spent her entire life trying to fit in and go unnoticed so the very concept seemed very foreign. "B-but why?" It was so very incomprehensible.

"B-but I'm not d-dangerous. P-people don't need to fear m-me." Amber knew that some mutants were dangerous, it was hard to live in the city she lived in and not be aware of that fact, but surely not all of them were. She was proof, if ever it was needed, that some were little more than human. Unless she was the only mutant in existence without any powers, a thought which was horribly depressing but one which would follow perfectly with her history of never having anything truly good in her life.

At the mention of finally arriving at the place Amber would not call home, all thoughts of mutants and humans fled her mind. She might have been a bit unusual at times, but she was still a teenager discovering her new home for the first time and she was excited and didn't bother to hide it.

Why, Because it is something to be proud of, Your genes are making your something stronger. Wearing your mutation in our flesh simply announces it for you that you are stronger, that you are more, that you are bound for greatness.

I wish, we had the world ready for that to be true Amber, but the truth is human’s already fear you, you are unknown, you are more powerful. Something they are jealous of and wish to be. And with that being so, some humans need to be reminded that you refuse to bow to them, that your genes have chosen you. You might not be dangerous yet, but your powers will develop, and you will be dangerous Abyss made a noise signifying that he was thinking about something.

hmmmm, actually let me rephrase that, you will be capable of being dangerous. You don’t have to be, but they day will come when a human will provoke you to prove you are more capable then they ever will be.

With a push of a button the garage doors opened the sleek car pulled into the garage and into a space that was open, the garage door behind them sliding closed. The area around them spoke of the fact that whatever they did at the sanctuary, they did a lot of it and did it well enough to maintain a lot of vehicles.

Amber was destined for greatness? She wasn't really sure how that could possibly be but she wasn't about to argue with her new father. If Abyss said she was destined for greatness then who knew? Maybe it might actually be true? "C-could be d-dangerous though. If s-someone sees m-my eyes and t-tries to hurt me. W-what if I can't d-defend myself?" That's what she was really worried about. What if someone attacked her and she never developed a power? She had been bullied in school before and knew it could be so much worse than that.

Amber liked the idea of becoming powerful and felt a little guilty about it. She wasn't supposed to want to be powerful was she? Didn't that seem to be a little egotistical? She should simply be thankful that she finally had a family to care for her and not even think about powers. Because she probably wouldn't get them anyway. But oh how she wanted them... "Can you t-teach me to be d-dangerous?" Realizing how bad that sounded she clarified. "I m-mean, can you t-teach me to defend m-myself? I d-don't want to actually h-hurt anybody." Well, except maybe Jeff, her worst bully and least favourite of the other orphans, but she didn't want to hurt him too badly.

All further thoughts of this nature were stopped when the vehicle bay door opened and Amber could do nothing but stare at the many vehicles behind it. Not only had she never seen so many vehicles sitting all in one place outside of a parking lot, but she had also never seen so many expensive vehicles all in one place. "A-are you r-rich, Abyss?" And if her new father was rich did that mean she was too?