Abby had walked this road plenty of times before.  She never expected to be drugged near one of her favorite restaurants.  She didn't even have time to react before her world went dark.

---

Abby blinked as she woke.  The last thing she remembered... her aunt knocking on the bathroom door while she bathed.  Jerking to a seated position, Abby glanced down at her odd clothes.  An oversized grey dress with a large purple ribbon at the waist.  It wasn't something she had ever seen before.

"What happened?" she wondered aloud.

Getting to her feet, Abby tried to figure out where she was.  A city.  Loud.  With lots of people.  People who didn't pay the small child any attention.  The air was heavy with salty humidity so she knew she close to the ocean.  Had her aunt spotted her tail?  Did they abandon her?

Abby felt tears fall down her face as she realized her family had left her somewhere without anything.  Abby crouched down and covered her face as she cried.  How was a eight-year-old going to survive alone?

Blood loss in a bathroom stall
A southern girl with a scarlet drawl
Wave goodbye to ma and pa
'Cause with the birds I'll share

With the birds I'll share this lonely viewin'

Music streamed from her ear pods as Lenna walked down the street. For the moment, she was in a good mood. The day was going well. Most things were right in the world, some things still sucked. But they would soon fix those, she was certain. And she had just eaten a good lunch. Things were good... up until some hooligan in a white tank top and baggy black basketball shorts brushed past her and stole her purse.

She noticed right away. Felt the lessening of the weight, and saw him running away. For once in a New York minute, he was unable to vanish into the milling crowd. He was visible, clear as day.

Lenna did not shout anything. No “HEY YOU!” Or “STOP! THIEF!” She merely broke into the fastest sprint of which she was able. Unassisted, it was pretty damn fast. Some day she would experiment with assisting her pace with her telekinesis. For now, she just ran. And hoped luck would be on her side.

Someone or something bumped a trash can into his path. He hit it, and stumbled. Trash flew everywhere. Very rich, robust aromas of curry and week old Chinese food mixed with ketchup in the air. He shoved off the ground from one knee, and regained his footing. But now, he could not book it the way he had and expect to escape. She had closed the distance. So, when he could, he cut a corner, into the nearest alley.

He stopped. In his path was a strange-looking young girl in an oversized dress. She was about 20 feet ahead of him, but the oddity of it all caught him and stopped him dead. The purse dangled from one arm.

The man may have been a mugger, a pickpocket and a thief. But he wasn’t wholly horrible. He had a conscience. The girl looked scared. Alone. Where were her parents? She was very alone. He knew the feeling. When he’d been her age, his parents had ghosted him. He’d had to fend for himself in the big city. Him and his friends.

Just as he opened his mouth, in an attempt to say something, he felt a tug at his arm. The arm the purse had dangled from. He lost his grip, and spun just in time to see the woman he had taken it from hauling it back to her person. And she was— whew.

If a rainbow could dress up as a person, it would have personified her. Red and black sneakers, orange short sleeved top, yellow socks, and a light blue athletic jacket, and black shorts with a green stripe up each side. It was like she had gotten dressed in the dark.

The mugger let his arms drop loose and gave up. Lost cause.

“I’m lucky you didn’t throw a brick at my head...” he muttered.

”I thought of it. But I tried diplomacy. Leave now?” She said.

Her voice was heavy into the Colombian range, like Shakira or something. He stared at her.

“Yeah. Okay. You win. It’s yours.”

She looked at him in such a way that he took it to mean, ‘well, yes. That is the point. Thief.’

He coughed into a fist, then gestured over his shoulder at the crying girl. “If you can, help her? Call the cops or something? I think someone just dumped her there... maybe parents.” Maybe kidnappers, he left unsaid. He hesitated a moment, then sighed and massaged his forehead. “Not that you... owe me any favors. Just... I got nowhere to take her. Can’t even help myself.”

Lenna eyed the young girl in the not too far distance. She waved over one shoulder. ”Leave. I will handle this.”

He left.

Lenna approached slowly and carefully, so as to avoid spooking her. When she was within ten feet, she said ”Hello. I am sorry for that. He stole my purse.” she explained. ”My name is Lenna.”

Abby startled at the sound of a crash. Flinching back, she tried to make herself as small as possible. Maybe whoever it was wouldn't see her. She could hear voices but she didn't try to understand them. She just focused on being invisible.

Someone walked away, her odd locating ability picking it up from the humidity. Then the other walked towards her. Abby curled herself tighter. The odd dress may cover her legs, but she feared being outed. That's what got her here after all. With each step Abby's breathing increased until she could feel more tears forming. Then they stopped.

”Hello. I am sorry for that. He stole my purse.”

Abby peeked at the woman, no more than a quick glance. Strangers weren't safe. Her Aunt always said-

”My name is Lenna.”

Aunt Theresa wasn't here. No one was here. No one but this lady. Lenna.

"'M Abby," she offered quietly. Maybe Miss Lenna could-

Abby stopped her thoughts. If her own family hated her for being a mutant, why would some stranger help her? Abby's breathing hitched as tears escaped her eyes.

She should just get it over with. Tell this kind person so they could leave.  "I'm a-" The words caught in her throat. 

”Alone?” Lenna attempted to finish her thought for her. ”Scared? It is okay. I know how that feels.”

She tried a smile. She was getting better at this thing. It almost just looked natural.

”Tell me your tale. I will listen.” Lenna suggested politely.

In her experience, that was how it worked best. At least, with her and her problems. She had attempted to keep things in a bottle under pressure until things got liable to explode, but had quickly realized... it is better to let things out. To share. It helped when you had good friends.

She could listen. She could listen very well.

Abby sucked in a breath as Miss Lenna finished her sentence for her. While not the words she had planned on using... They weren't wrong either. Abby couldn't decide if she should agree or disagree.

”Tell me your tale. I will listen.”

Abby froze again. It took several deep breaths for her to respond in any way. Finally she lifted part of the dress to show the woman her legs. "I'm bad," she whispered.

Abby blinked as the dress caught on her legs. Glancing down, she spotted scales instead of just... gray skin. Did she... change? How? When? Abby's breathing picked up again as she panicked. Would she one day. Become an actual shrak.

Bad, was she?

”That is okay.” Lenna said. She knew plenty of bad people. She had even been one. Could still be, if she so desired.

She saw nothing wrong with the girl, other than scaly skin. Something maybe moisturizer might fix. Or else, could it be— was she saying—?

”Ah. I see what you are trying to elucidate. You think because you are a mutant, you are bad. This opinion is profoundly wrong. You cannot be bad, simply because you are a certain way. Though some people always like to think you can... dullards.” She rolled her eyes.

”I am a mutant too.”

”Ah. I see what you are trying to elucidate. You think because you are a mutant, you are bad. This opinion is profoundly wrong. You cannot be bad, simply because you are a certain way. Though some people always like to think you can... dullards.”

Abby blinked at the woman, allowing her hands to fall to her lap. "What's Ee-lou-ceh-date?" she asked. She thought she knew from the rest of her words but didn't want to be wrong.

Abby wouldn't admit to the circles her brain was swimming in while she tried to accept Miss Lenna's words. But how was she supposed to when her own family left her?

"I am a mutant too."

Abby blinked at Miss Lenna. Was she saying that to help Abby feel better? Or was it true? She couldn't see anything different about the woman. Then again, she knew not all mutants were obvious.

"Prove it."  Abby froze at her own voice.  She couldn't take back her words.  Didn't want to either.  But she did remember that adults rarely like to be asked to 'prove' something to children.

Two words. Prove it. Enough to make a young girl cry.

Maybe if she had been asked to do such a feat in a year or so, when she had practiced further, such things would be trivial. But currently...

Lenna did not roll her eyes. They hardened for a moment as she focused on Abby’s face, but she did not roll them. She treated the young girl with respect.

”My power is hard to explain and use... you see, right now, it is a little bit broken.” Her Colombian flair made words come out with rolled rs and extended ee sounds, such that little became leetle.

Lenna explained. ”Recently, a mutant attacked me. They made me change, from an adult into a child. They have been going around doing that. My boyfriend can read memories on objects so he saw the whole thing. Showed it to me, too. But for my power... makes me see everything orange. It is the power to move things with my mind, but right now it wants to move the entire world... Everything... which makes the strength with which I am able to influence things far more limited. Strength divided is weaker than strength, undivided.” She smiled weakly at Abby.

”Mainly, I tell people I have luck. Because I use telekinesis, sort of subconsciously, to shift things in my favor. Nudge punches off course, adjust the aim of someone with a gun so they miss me. Very useful when it works. But hard. Hard to display in a drafty alley in the middle of the afternoon in a bad area of New York.”

Not one to change an uncomfortable subject or anything, Lenna changed the subject. ”Your clothes do not fit. When I first was deaged, my clothes did not fit. Tell me, do you remember the last day?”

On one hand, Abby felt pretty let down that Miss Lenna couldn't (or wouldn't, she still wasn't sure) prove she was a mutant. (Abby wasn't sure if she believed the woman when she said she was a mutant either though so...) The idea that she might have be older and was attacked and turned in to a kid again was... well Abby wasn't sure what she thought about it.

It was a better thought than her Aunt and Uncle abandoning her in some random city. But was it true or was Miss Lenna just being nice? It also explained the weirdly large dress she was wearing. But...

”Your clothes do not fit. When I first was deaged, my clothes did not fit. Tell me, do you remember the last day?”

"School was over. I took a bath," Abby paused. "Showers hurt. Aunt Theresa knocked on the door. I was taking longer than normal. I had tried to make friends at school but they kept teasing me about my legs." Abby stopped as she felt more tears forming. She took several deep breathes. "Then I woke up here."

Hm. Gaps. Many gaps.

”Well, there are a few options.” Lenna began.

”One. We call your family on my cellphone and see if they have anything to add to your narrative.” She rattled off the options.

”Two, we go to the mansion. Xavier’s Sister school. It is a place for mutants. Someone there might be able to help you. Three, we talk more. Tell me, what year is it for you?”

The young girl might not trust her. That was why she had given several options. There were more things they could do, but listing everything and anything would surely overwhelm her.


There were many unknowns in the situation. Many questions she could have asked. But the year? If the girl thought it was a different year than it actually was, it would narrow down the possibilities.

Abby listened as Miss Lenna gave her some options.  The first... Abby didn't want to do the first.  What if she was right?  What if her Aunt and Uncle did leave her, abandon her, in an unfamiliar city?

The second...  A Mansion? How can a school be a place for mutants?  She knows mutants go to school but how can there be a school just for people like them?  It sounds... too good to be true.


"...Three, we talk more. Tell me, what year is it for you?”

"Twenty-Twelve," Abby answered easily. There were talks about it being the end of the world because of an old calendar. She clearly remembered a conversation just a few days ago where her Aunt found the phen-om-in-non amusing. "How would a Mansion help?"

2012. Well then, that answered that question,.

She held her breath a moment, while turning possible responses over in her mind. Responses about it not being 2012, about what the mansion could do, about what she, herself, could go. About her own personal experiences. About the current state of things. About a great many things. Finally, she settled. For an awful mix of many things. The bargain brand Chex mix version. The kind that was missing the best parts, such as the crunchy rye crisps or the swirly little bread sticks.

She had recently been made aware of bargain brands of things. Knockoffs. Cheap imitations. Some were as good as the real deal. Some were better. And some, such as in the case of fake Chex mixes, were the worst. This was one of those situations, but with all her efforts, once she started speaking, Lenna could not easily stop.

”First off,” She said, Colombian accent ready and willing to roll her Rs and make every bite of knowledge have an extra bit of flavor. ”2012, it is not. We are a few years past that. You have been affected by a mutant who reversed time on your body. Please, do not worry. Many have dealt with it. I am one of them. Secondly,” as if that revelation were not enough, she continued.

”You have missed a great many things. I am told that in addition to the plot with the mutant who made people more youthful, there was also once with tears in reality. And at some point, something with a sunken city and girls made of coral. And giant turkeys, although that may have been years ago, and giant Christmas trees, and secret government organizations that— listen. I am off track here. I WISH it were 2012. Things would be far simpler. Although maybe not for me. Um.”

Like a deer in the spotlights, she froze. She WANTED to help this girl, liked helping kids. Felt it was crucial to her, and her character somehow. But... really, she was very awful at it. Maybe she could have talked less, and smiled more? Like in the song someone had once shown her, about the founding father who got shot, but was not throwing away his... shot, for some reason. Yes.

Lenna took a great big breath, and let it out again. ”Listen. There are a million things you haven’t done.” She held up a finger, explaining. ”But just you wait. Just you wait. The mansion can help. They gave me a home after everything, friends, food. Helped me get my life in order. Deal with my powers and gave me schooling.” She had jokingly wanted to say learnding, but... some jokes have no reason for their presence in adult conversation.

”You are not throwing away your shot.” She finished lamely, but she smiled. The kind of smile where one forces the corners of their mouth wide, in order to replicate a fine facsimile of a smile. It altered her cheeks and mouth, but did not really touch her eyes.