X-men story Achu the early teen years ch.2

Achu sat on the side of the highway and cried. She was hungry and cold, and couldn't bear walking another mile. She had walked for three days, and she wasn't even close to the state border, she wasn't even at the main highway she needed to get to yet. It was still fifty miles to the exit she nedded.1

Achu didn't know what to do. She had tried hitchhiking, but no one would stop for her, well, except for that drunk guy who offered to take her to a "Private place" he knew. Achu had to threaten him with her mutant powers, lying like crazy claiming she was a fierce full grown tiger who ate jerks before he would leave her alone. 2

Now she was ready to quit. She couldn't bear going any further, and she was starving. Her mind had gone again to her parents, and their hatred of mutants, and their even greater hatred of cats. What kind of parents would abandone their own child for something beyond her control? 3

The more Achu thought about it the more she was beginning to realize something. Her parents didn't hate cats untill she started to love them. Just like they didn'thate mutants untill Achu expressed a desire to be one. Why would her parents hate everything Achu liked? That is, unless they hated her? Achu thought back to her relationship with her parents. The more she thought about it the more she realized that her parents had used her being a mutant cat as an excuse to get rid of her. They didn't love her, they didn't want her. 4

The realization of this lead to Achu crying, and giving up, here on the side of the highway. After all, what was the point? She had no one, and no where to go. She had never had friends at school because she was so small and quiet, and now she realized thast she wasn't loved by anyone. She really was alone in the world. Left to die of starvation or rapists on the highway. No one cared if she lived or died, she truly was alone in the world.5

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After an hour of crying a state police car pulled over beside Achu. Achu got to her feet and dried her eyes hastely on her sweatshirt sleve.7

"Are you running away?" The police officer asked frowning.8

"No sir, my parents left me here. They... they don't want me anymore." Achu said feeling a lump rising in her throat.9

"You better come with me. Hop in." The police officer decided.10

Two hours later Achu sat on a chair in the state police barracs listening to a one sided conversation between a detective and her parents. Her parents were denying that they had a daughter. Finally the detective hung up and turned to another officer. Even though they were whispering Achu could hear the conversation quite clearly.11

"They said they never had a daughter, or any children."12

"Well than the girl must be lying about who her parents are. That way we can't bring her home. It's a classic run-a-way trick."13

"I'm not lying!" Achu cried causing many heads to turn her way. The detectives turned to her and reguarded her for a moment. Than the one who made the call came over to her.14

"You know, running away is considered a crime in this state. So is lying to the law. Now you tell us who your parents really are or I'll show you where lying gets you." he said in a stern tone.15

Achu paced back and fourth in the small cell she had been put in. She was so furious that she couldn't speak. How dare they not believe her! How dare they lock her up like a caged animal!? An animal, that was it! Achu turned to look at the barred window. Being a warm day the window was open. Achu turned into a kitten and slipped through the bars, she was free!16

After the police incident Achu decided that she was safest as a cat. She roamed the city for a while, eating out of garbage cans and sleeping in allys, until a worker from the pound tried to catch her. Than she darted into a side street and transformed quickly, insisting she saw no cat when the man came arround the corner asking about a stray kitten.17

Achu knew that she could not stay in the city forever, it was just too dangerous. So she stold a credit card out of someones wallet and bought herself a train ticket to the town closest to Xavier's school. Feeling guilty about what she did she returned the credit card to the mans pocket with a silent vow to herself never to steal again.