Daria is copyrighted property of MTV and X-MEN are a copyrighted product of FOX Pictures and MARVEL Comics. I am not with either company, and this is a crossover/parody of both. This story is not copyrighted and was written for fun and out of boredom.

This fic is Rated PG-13 for language and fight scenes.

NOTE: I wrote two other Daria Fan Fic’s and they sucked! I’m my harshest critic, and I rushed through them both. This one, I took my time and I hope I gave a good story. I hope you readers enjoy it.

Mutation, it is a constant form of life. Because of mutation, we are what we are now. Mutations can sometimes be small. Other times though, it can be large and very dangerous. In our time frame, mutations will happen again, and more frequently.

The

Lawndale

Factor

By Frank Harbuck

As she was remembering, she began to pick up something. Something she hadn’t picked up in a while. Not with her eyes, ears, or even her nose, but her mind! A stray thought. Not hers, but someone else. ‘It’s time’ was all she heard. Where could it be coming from? This was making her uneasy. She got up and went to the window. What she saw made her eyes go wide in fear! "Oh, Shi" Before she could finish, a giant mass burst through her window and sent her flying across her living room! As she looked up, she saw some kind of figure! As she looked closer though, she saw it wasn’t a man! It was a machine! "Target 0001, raise your hands and prepare to be captured!" the figure said in an almost human voice. "Sorry, you’re not my type." She said as she tried to bolt out of the room! An energy blast hit her in the middle of her back, and she fell to the floor. She gasped for air as the wind was knocked out of her. She turned and saw the figure standing over her, with his palm in front of her. She then noticed some kind of hole that was starting to glow! She had to think of something quick! She saw the fire poker on the floor! She then tried to do something she hadn’t done for a while. She quickly concentrated, and saw the poker start float in the air! She then looked at the figure right square in its face. "Download this!" she said, and saw the point of the poker come out of it’s face! The thing jerked a few times with small smoke coming from the new hole in its head, then stood still. Like it was out of a cartoon, the thing slowly fell backward, and hit the floor with a loud thud that shook her house! She breathed a sigh of relief. She tried to get up, but couldn’t! She tried to get up again, and noticed something that shocked her! She couldn’t feel, nor move her legs!

"Looks like we found him." A woman in a wheel chair said as her and her driver continued to drive down the road in a jet-black van. "My God! That’s him?" the young driver asked her. "I’m afraid so. I didn’t know his power would be that dramatic. We better hurry. The last thing we need is the press!" the woman said as the driver floored it! Mack had closed his eyes again, and covered his face in his hands. He was crying uncontrollably. He couldn’t believe what was happening to him. Not to mention what he had done Lance, the Linebacker! He didn’t see it, but heard it! He burned away his arm! Why was this happening to him? Why him, and what was it? "YOU PUT YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!" a voice shouted at him. "I CAN’T!" he shouted at whoever spoke. "DROP WHATEVER WEAPON YOU HAVE, AND PUT YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!" the voice shouted at him. "I CAN’T! IT’S MY EYES! THEY’RE DOING ALL THIS! IF I OPEN MY EYES, YOU’LL BE FRIED!" Mack shouted at whoever was talking. "YOU ARE THREATENING A POLICE OFFICER! DROP YOUR–"

"I DON’T HAVE A WEAPON! IT’S MY EYES!" Mack shouted again!

`The next thing Mack felt were two sets of arms trying to drag his hands behind his hands behind his back! "You don’t understand! It’s my eyes! They’re dangerous! Stop! STOP!" Mack shouted at them! He then felt his hands behind his back, but kept his eyes closed! It was when they slammed his head down into the pavement that he opened his eyes on instinct! The blast was so strong; it sent him and the police officers flying through the air! Mack closed his eyes and both he and the two officers landed with a thud! Mack heard hammers being cocked back, but then heard nothing! He wanted open his eyes, but couldn’t! He knew what would happen if he did! He then heard a whirring sound, like a small motor. "It’s okay, they won’t fire." A woman said to him. "Who’s there?" Mack asked, trying to see if he recognized the voice. "A friend. Here, wear these." The voice said, and Mack felt something being held beside him. He took them, and felt them. They were sunglasses, but the lenses felt different. "Sunglasses? How?" he asked. "They’ll help control your eyes for now." The voice said. He put them on, then slowly opened his eyes. Everything was still red, but his blasts weren’t going off! He looked around and saw that the police officers were standing still, looking stupefied or something. "What did you do?" Mack asked whoever the person was. "Immobilized them. It’ll wear off as soon as we leave." The voice said. Mack turned to see a Brunette woman wearing a dark blue T-shirt and slacks, in a motorized wheel chair. "You look familiar. Do I know you?" he asked her. "You know my niece, and I’ll leave it at that for now. I want to help you get out of here." She told him. "Why do you want to help me?" he asked the woman. "You are unique, like others I am helping. Or you can answer the questions of these officers." She told him. Mack looked around, and saw the crater his optic blasts left in the street. "Let’s go." He said, and got into the van.

`"So when do you think Trent will be home? He’s been gone for a week now." Daria told her partner in crime. "Don’t know. Last time I hadn’t seen him for this long was when he got that job for that used car lot." Jane told her as they stepped outside. "But even then you saw him now and then." Daria told her. "Good point. Maybe I should start to worry." Jane said as something was on her mind. Daria took notice. "You okay, Jane? You haven’t mentioned anything about B.F.A.C since we’ve both gotten home." Daria told her friend. "Huh? Yeah, Daria. It’s just, well, remember that episode we saw of Sick Sad World before we came back here?" Jane asked her. "The one about mutants among us? I remember it vaguely. Why do you ask?" Daria asked her. "Well, I was watching the news, and turns out Sick Sad World wasn’t lying." Jane told her. "WHAT?" Daria asked. She was mainly surprised that Sick Sad World had gotten a real story and not a fake one. "It’s true. As it turns out, there are mutants around here, and I mean of the dramatic kind." Jane told her. "How dramatic, Sell Out?" she asked her. "Some mutants look like creatures from comic books, or science fiction movies. Other mutants look like regular people but have these weird powers. I mean they could be your best – friend and," Jane just trailed off. Daria knew something was up here, and these mutant stories had something to do with it. "Jane, are you trying to tell me something?" Daria asked her. Jane was about to say something, when they heard an all too familiar voice behind them. "Hello, ladies. What are two fine examples of womanhood like yourselves doing today?"

Charles Ruttheimer III had driven up behind them in his pink Cadillac, and was still using the stupid idea that he was God’s gift to women. "Beat it, Upchuck! This doesn’t concern you!" Jane told him, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, Feisty as usual. May I offer you a ride on the dream machine? Maybe for some ‘Action’?" he asked in his almost reptile tone of voice. "Get lost, Ruttheimer! The only action you’ll get is Class Action!" Daria told him. "Oh, I don’t think so this time. Not with so many mutants around." Charles said as Daria and Jane started to walk off. Before Daria knew anything, some kind of long, elastic rope rapped around her waist and lifted her in the air! "JANE!" she screamed as she was lifted to almost the top of a tree! "DARIA!" Jane shouted, and looked to see where the rope was coming from. She almost became sick to her stomach when she saw it was a tongue that belonged to Upchuck! "Get that thing off her you little toad!" Jane shouted to him! The wind started to pick up, and become more and more violent! It almost as if a hurricane had just blown into town! Charles was holding onto his car for dear life, and let go of Daria! Jane caught her in time, and looked square at Upchuck! Daria saw that her friend’s eyes were completely white, and then wind became stronger as she glared at Upchuck! Then, his car flipped over, trapping him underneath it! As soon as it did, The wind died down and went away, and Jane’s eyes went to back to her pale blue color. Daria got back to her feet, and looked at her friend with shock and awe. "J-Jane?" she asked her, a little scared and shaking all over. "Um, surprise?" Jane asked her friend, a tear dripping down her cheek. This is Jane we’re talking about, and she just saved me! Get it together Morgendorffer! Daria thought to herself. "Can you make it snow?" Daria asked her. Jane smiled; knowing her friend was still her friend. "Well, well, WELL!" a voice said. They turned and saw Upchuck climbing out of the car and crouching. "Who would have thought, another mutant! A pretty one at that!" Upchuck said to them. "That’s not the only thing I can do you little bastard!" Jane said as her eyes turned white again. Dark clouds gathered over their heads, and lightning started to form and strike. "I wonder how ground Upchuck would taste fried?" Jane asked herself. Upchuck leapt off his car and took a lunge at Jane!

Before Charles could react, he felt a powerful fist smash him in the gut! Charles landed with the wind knocked out of him. When he looked up, he saw Trent Lane above him. "Beat it man. You don’t want to mess with my sister, or me!" Trent told Upchuck. "What can you do to a mutant like me?" he asked him. Trent baled up his fists tight, anger going through him. Without warning, three metal claws shot out from in between his fingers on each hand! "Sliced, or diced?" Trent asked him. Upchuck looked at Trent with his claws, and Jane with her white eyes. "See ya." He said and leapt over their heads, and over their roof! Jane’s eyes returned to normal and the skies cleared. Daria and Jane stared at the claws coming out of Trent’s hands. "TRENT! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HANDS?" Jane asked him and carefully lifted he hand. "Don’t know. I think those are cheese knives." He said. As he relaxed, the claws retracted spooking Daria and Jane. "Trent, get in the house, now!" Jane told him and got him into the house.

Trent was fast asleep on the couch with his normal clothes on. Jane and Daria were at the kitchen table, Jane looking a little nervous and embarrassed. "How come you didn’t tall me you were a mutant?" Daria asked. "Think about it Daria! All through history, people get scared, panicky, and try to beat the living crap out of anything different. I know you were my friend, but I just didn’t want to risk my secret getting out." She told her. "I can understand that. So how long have you been a mutant?" Daria asked her. "Since before we met. I noticed whenever I was in some sort of mood, or wanted it to rain, the weather changed. I tried to practice it when no one was around." Jane told her. "How come I didn’t find out about this sooner?" Daria asked her. "Well, I – didn’t know how’d you take it." Jane told her. "Does that mean the day we went to that tourist trap, you caused it to rain?" Daria asked her. (The Daria Hunter) Jane smirked at that question. "No. I didn’t cause that. But I made it worse when I became pissed to find it was a crazy wanna be shark hunter who ran the place." She told her friend. "What about Trent? Did he always have those – things?" Daria asked slowly. "Actually, he always seemed normal compared to me. Besides, I don’t think he ever had those. I don’t know where they came from." Jane told her. "Poor Trent. What about the cuts where the claws came out?" Daria asked her. "When I was fixing to alcohol on them, I didn’t see any! Not even a bruise!" she told him. Daria’s eyes went wide. "Nothing?" Daria asked her. "Nothing! I mean, I found a little blood, but nothing! Come to think about it, Trent was always a fast healer. He never did stay down long. If he’s a mutant too, maybe that’s his powers." Jane told him. "To heal instantly?" Daria asked her. "Hey, nobody’s perfect. The claws, I don’t know. I think he doesn’t either. From how clueless he looked, that was probably the first time they came out." Jane said. Jane then looked at Daria for a moment, fixing to ask her something before Daria cut her off. "I won’t tell anybody." Daria told her friend. "Thanks, Daria." Jane said.

If they had looked outside the window, they would have seen a big, broad shadow in the shadows of the bushes. His slowly let go of the branches, scratching a few with the metal claws that came out from his fingers. He turned and walked off, breathing as if he was some sort of an animal.

Amy pressed a button on the desk, and the whole room started move! It was a giant elevator. When it stopped, the office doors opened to show a hallway that looked as if it really did belong in Star Trek! "Wh-what?" Mack asked. "Down the hall, first door on your left." Amy told him. Mack looked at her for a moment, unsure what she was talking about. Then, ever so slowly, he started to walk.

Down the hall, to the left. Followed her instructions, and ended up in a dark room. "Hello?" Mack asked. The door closed behind him, and the lights came on, showing a room as large as a professional football stadium! He looked up to see a room at the top of the ceiling. It looked to be some kind of Guardroom or something. "Welcome do the Danger Room, Michael MacKenzie. Here, you will train your powers to their full extent, along with combat abilities for self-defense." The amplified voice of Amy Barksdale said. "Self-defense? For what?" Mack asked. "People don’t like change, Mack. They’ve met it with two things. Fear, or acceptance. Most of the time it’s fear and that usually leads to violence. The self-defense is incase you are attacked. But do NOT use your powers unless it is life and death, or a last resort. When your new visor is ready, you’ll then learn how to control the intensity of your blasts." Amy told him. "Okay, sounds good. Who going to be teaching me?" he asked her. "One of my first students."

The doors opened to show Jodie Landon walk into the Danger Room! "J-Jodie?" Mack asked her. "Get ready for a whooping." She said and assumed a fighting stance. "What are you going to do?" Mack asked, his mood lifting a little. Before he knew it, he was lifted upside down in the air, upside down by nothing! Then floated toward Jodie until they were face to face. "Like my abilities?" she asked him. "Maybe we should start with basic attacks." Amy said over the intercom.

"You have got to be kidding me! With her elected into congress," Jane started. "If she’s elected, it would be the same as every other politician there." Daria finished. "Good point." Trent said to Daria. "Also, with the new scare of mutants, I will push for the scanning of all known mutants in America! With this vote, we can live safe and away from these freaks – I mean abnormal people! Thank you!" Miss Li finished. "Okay, now I’m worried." Jane told her. "As if her conspiracy paranoia wasn’t enough at High School, now she’s trying to spread them across the nation." Daria said to herself. "Yeah, as if the country weren’t screwed up enough." Trent said. Jane and Daria smirked at Trent and his comment. "Yeah, well what can be worse than the old bat running for congress?" Jane asked as she and the others moved on.

"Ah, another day another handful of votes." Miss Li said as she laid back in her office chair at Lawndale High. "Miss Li, are you so SURE it was wise to MENTION the mutant SCANNING?" Mr. DeMartino asked her in his usual tone. "Why shouldn’t I? There nothing but freaks anyway." Miss Li said to him. "Well, What if a MUTANT was on the FOOTBALL team?" Mr. DeMartino asked her. "Okay, I would make an exception there. Besides, what can they do? They should all be shipped to another island." Miss Li said as she sipped her coffee. "Out of CURIOSITY, miss Li, why DID you decide to hire me as your CAMPAIGN MANAGER?" Mr. DeMartino asked her. "Come on, Anthony! You very well know why! You can practically scare anyone into voting for me! Besides, you know what closet case war veterans like you go for a politician." Miss Li told him. "So it’s not because I’m a MAN?" he asked her. "For crying out loud, Anthony! You’re starting to sound like Ms. Barch!" Miss Li said to Mr. DiMartino. "You Know, Angela, you always were a bitch!" Mr. DiMartino said.

Miss Li noticed something some thing different about Anthony’s voice. It shifted in tone when he talked just then. Hell, it sounded like it was changing into someone else’s voice entirely! When she turned around in her chair, she saw Mr. DiMartino’s face and body shape completely almost melt and change into a form more feminine! Into Ms. Barch! "Surprised to see me, Miss Li?" Ms. Barch asked and dropped kicked Miss Li!

Miss Li slowly woke up from her deep sleep. She was wondering what had happened, when she remembered! DeMartino, or Ms. Barch, had kicked her unconscious! She looked around her surroundings, and found herself strapped to a medal recliner, with lumpy cushions! She looked to her left, and saw Ms. Barch, wearing a white jump suit, her skin was blue and her eyes an almost glowing yellow! She tried to look to her right, but didn’t see anyone! She knew someone was there, she could feel their breath on her! "Don’t worry, Ms. Li, my people won’t harm you. Not unless you piss me off." A voice said in front of her. She looked ahead to see a floating person, wearing a mixture of blood red and dark purple body armor! The person was wearing a blood red helmet that acted as a mask as well! "Who-who are you?" she asked the lone figure in front of her. "Just call me Magnus for the time being." The figure said. The person held out their hand, and the chair moved a few feet closer to the person! "What the hell!" Miss Li shouted. "Don’t worry, I only can use magnetism for medal." The figure told her. "Y-you’re another freak, aren’t you?" Miss Li demanded! "FREAK?" Magnus shouted, and raised the chair high up in the air just by pointing at it! "We find the name freak a little insulting! We prefer Mutant, or Homo-superior! YOU GOT THAT, LI?" the figure demanded. "Y-yes! I got it!" she said. "Good." Magnus said and lowered her. "W-what are you going to do to me?" Miss Li asked them. "For now, you’ll continue your campaign. Until further notice, and as of now, you serve the Conglomerate of Homo-Superiors." Magnus told her. "Huh?" Miss Li asked him. "I knew that wouldn’t work. All right, just call us the Organization of Superior Mutants." Magnus told her. "Awesome! But couldn’t it be like the Brotherhood of Mutants?" the person behind Miss Li asked. "SHUT UP! Besides, it sounds like something from a comic book!" Magnus told him. "So SHUT UP you, you MAN!" Ms. Barch shouted at the person as well. "This is all insane! What makes you think you’ll get away with this?" Miss Li demanded. "Come on Miss Li! These are Police we’re talking about! More to the point, Lawndale police!" Magnus told her. "Crap! You’re right!" Miss Li said to herself. "Make yourself comfortable, Miss Li. You’re going to be here a while. Ms. Barch! You know what to do!" Magnus told her. "Yeah, yeah!" Ms. Barch said as her formed shifted to the form of Miss Li! "I’ve got a campaign to run!" Miss Li/Barch said and left. "Fang face! Take her to a room! Damn lousy politicians!" Magnus said in a whisper and left. "Come on, Miss Li! We’ve got some catching up to do!" the person said to her as they lifted the chair with her still in it! She also knew that voice, but it couldn’t be!

Once she let it rain for a little while longer, she stopped the rain but let the clouds stay. She looked around and noticed a few people were looking at her. Her eyes quickly changed back to normal as she began to become flush. "Um, eep." was all Jane could see. She blew her secret, and was now scared of what would happen next. Without warning, everyone froze! Just stood still like they were statues! Now Jane knew she didn’t have this ability. "Okay, now it’s time for me to freak out!" she said to herself. "Actually, you don’t have to. They no longer know it was you." A voice said behind her. Jane turned to see a woman in a wheelchair. She knew who it was too from the photos Daria had shown her! "Amy Barksdale! What happened?" Jane asked her. "A long story. Jane, I have a proposition for you." She told her.

"Nothing much. I just miss Jane is all." Daria told him. "Oh, okay!" Jake said and turned on the TV. As the screen brightened, it showed Miss Li, on her mutant bashing campaign again. "I can’t stand that woman!" Helen said as she wondered into the living room. "The nerve of her saying I look fifty!" Helen said again. "She’s raving about mutants again." Daria told them. "Oh! Mutants! You really never know where they are!" Jake said, acting suspicious again. "She’s basically saying she will give the government the right to choose to let mutants have a life or even live!" Daria in a sarcastic tone, but she was basically also telling the flat out truth. "DO WHAT?" Jake and Helen screamed at the same time. "DAMN LOUSY RACIST POLITICS! WHEN THE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO WAKE UP AND ACCEPT LIFE FOR EVERYTHING IT’S GOT!" Jake screamed, veins bulging all over his neck. "JAKE! CALM DOWN OR YOU’LL GIVE YOURSELF ANOTHER HEART ATTACK!" Helen shouted at her husband. "OH, SO YOU’RE FOR THIS MUTANT SCANNING CRAP!" Jake accused his wife. "ARE YOU JOKING? THAT BITCH IS BASICLY GOING AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION! I’D KICK MY SHOE IN HER ASS IF SHE WERE HERE RIGHT NOW!" Helen shouted back!

A loud medal clanging came from the kitchen, and everyone turned to look! The rack the pots and pans were on had fallen and all the pots and pans scattered all over the floor! "What happened?" Quinn asked as she came running down the stairs! "The rack fell, Quinn! Nothing to be worried about!" Helen told her youngest daughter. "Yeah, but how did it happen?" Daria asked them. Both looked sheepish yet puzzled at the same time. Like somehow, one of them knew what happened but didn’t know how to explain it. For that matter, how to even answer it! "Let’s just clean this mess up!" Helen finally said. Daria just shrugged and helped. Of course, she did look at the rack and saw that it looked as if someone was pulling at it! Someone strong!

After the mess was cleaned up, Daria told everyone she was going for a walk. As she did, she caught herself wondering over to Jane’s house. She felt like an idiot for wondering over there, but it was force of habit. When she was going for a walk, it was an excuse to go see Jane. While she was there, she thought she might as well see Trent. When she knocked on the door, Trent was actually up and answering! "Hey Daria." Trent said to her. "Hey, Trent. Have you heard from Jane?" she asked him. "A few days ago. She’s doing all right at that new school." Trent told her. "Oh, okay." Daria said. They stood there for a while. "You look beat. You want me to give you a ride?" he asked her. "Sure." Daria said. While in the car, Trent knew something was off. "What all’s been going on?" Trent asked her. "I’m just sick of Miss Li’s mutant bashing! I mean, you and Jane are mutants and you’re just as normal as anyone else is. Besides a few things." She added. Trent laughed a little before he coughed. "Your cough isn’t as bad." Daria told her. "I know, it’s a little weird. Listen; just forget about the bitch. People are scared, but they’ll have to accept it sooner or later. Besides, Janie and I can protect ourselves." Trent said. "Okay." Daria said, a little reassured.

BAM! The car hit something, and Trent went flying out the window! Daria felt like she was in a vise from the seat belt tightening around her, but was fine. She looked up to see Trent stagger to a stand, and look back at Daria. Daria gasped as she saw Trent’s forehead! As he got closer, she saw the flesh was torn right to his skull! There was something else though! She saw what looked like silver on his skull! METAL! The same looking metal that his claws were made off! "Daria, you okay?" Trent asked her. Daria gasped again as the wound closed up again and healed itself! "DARIA! YOU ALL RIGHT?" Trent shouted, getting scared she was hurt! "I’m okay! Just a little stuck!" Daria told her as she noticed the seat belt was locked in place. "Hold on!" Trent said as he was walking around the lamppost that had fallen!

Trent took a good look at the base of the lamp, and saw claw marks! He then noticed something! A smell, a very weird smell! Wait not a smell! A SCENT! Trent extended his claws, and looked around. He was trying to find who knocked over the lamppost. "Trent, is everything okay?" Daria asked him. "STAY IN THE CAR, DARIA!" Trent told her. Without warning, someone came from out behind a bush and knocked Trent over! When Trent got to his feet, he saw the guy who knocked him over was Tommy Sherman! "WHOA! Wait a minute, you’re dead!" Trent said as he had his claws ready! "Ad-ad-Something metal! Unbreakable!" Tommy Sherman said as he knocked on his head and gave Trent a blow to the stomach! "Too bad they wasted it on you, skinny!" Tommy said and gave him an uppercut to the face! Trent went flying up in the air, and landed on the hood on his car! Trent’s claws retracted as Tommy Sherman stood over him. "Asleep again! What a loser!" Sherman said as he smirked. Before Tommy knew it, he had three claws buried to the hilt in his hip! "Guess again, Jock!" Trent said as he then kicked Tommy in the crotch! "Y-you – LOSER!" Tommy shouted while giving a deep throat growl! He picked Trent up, his claws coming free from his hip, and threw him at another lamppost! Trent went to sleep, when the lamppost fell on his head!

Daria was starting to panic, trying to yank the seat belt free! When she looked up, she saw Sherman walking toward her! "The Misery Chick!" he said as he got closer! "OH, CRAP!" Daria shouted and tried to yank the belt free! Tommy was chuckling when he felt something hit the back of his head! He looked down, and saw a clump of hail the size of a golf ball. When he turned behind himself, hail the size of softballs started to hit him! When they stopped, he saw a chick with black hair and her eyes were pure white! Another person was there, a black guy with a visor! Before he knew it, a giant red energy blast nailed him in the chest, and sent him flying backward!

Daria tried yanking the seat belt free when she saw the energy blast! When the door opened, she was shocked to see who it was! "JANE! MACK!" Daria shouted. "Hold still." Mack said and looked at the belt. He reached over, and pressed the belt release. The seat belt immediately came free! "Oh!" Daria said and turned read! "Come on! Trent’s car is leaking gas!" Jane said and got her out. Mack picked up Trent as he lay in a deep sleep and they all hauled ass before the car exploded!

Daria was resting on a soft bed, waking up from a deep sleep when she saw Jane in front of her. "Yo." She said. "Jane! Where did you come from?" Daria asked her. "Long story." She told her. Daria then noticed what she was wearing! It was a dark blue jump suit, that looked like some kind of make shift armor at the same time! Complete with a flowing Navy blue cape! "What the hell are you wearing?" Daria asked her. "You remember that school I went to? It’s for mutants. What do we do? Teach other mutants how to handle their abilities. What else do we do? Save people and mutants from jerks like Tommy Sherman. Who runs it? Your Aunt Amy. That’s the short version." Jane said. Daria looked at her for a minute. "My Aunt runs a school for mutants?" Daria asked. "Yeah. She’s also the most powerful mutant known alive." She mentioned. "I had a feeling about that." Daria said. The two smirked at each other, and then hugged each other.

"YOU DID WHAT?" Magnus screamed as loud as he could! "Hey, I was just seeing how tough he was! He only got one hit, and I can’t even fell it anymore!" Tommy Sherman told Magnus. "YOU IDIOT!" Magnus shouted and shout out his arm! Before Tommy knew anything, he was lifted high in the air, and his skeleton felt like it was being crushed! "I WANTED YOU TO OBSERVE! NOT ATTACK! NOW YOU MAY HAVE SCREWED UP EVERYTHING!" Magnus shouted at him. "Y-You still got Barch!" Tommy told Magnus. "THAT’S ONLY HALF THE PLAN YOU TWIT! I NEED THAT OTHER MUTANT! I DON’T KNOW WHY I DON’T KILL YOU NOW!" Magnus said as a slight groaning of medal came from Tommy Sherman. "H-He only g-got me in t-the hip!" Tommy stuttered as he tried to fight back a scream of pain. "YOU FOOL! NOW THEY KNOW I’M UP TO SOMETHING! Of coarse, you’re only mutant that’s willing to work for peanuts." Magnus said to himself, his rage subsiding. "S-so you did f-find a reason n-not to k-kill me?" Tommy Sherman asked him, his face twisting in pain! "For now. Just keep watching them! Don’t act unless I say! All they know is I’ve made the first move." Magnus said. He let his arm drop by his side, and Tommy Sherman fell flat on the floor. "Go check on our guest." Magnus said as he floated up in the air, and out a whole in the roof that opened for him. "What a hard ass!" Tommy said as he went to check on Miss Li.

"Well, when you see a friend of yours have a gash so big showing his skull, and heal instantly in front of you, you figure he’ll be okay." Daria said.

"You found out about his mutant ability the hard way, huh? You’re right, he’ll be fine. He’s still sleeping, but fine." Jane said. "No surprise there. Listen Jane, how do you know you’re a mutant?" Daria asked her.

"I need help with a few things, and was wondering if I could employ Daria for it." Amy told her. "You mean at your school for gifted, what is it?" Quinn asked her aunt. "People, Quinn. Gifted people of all ages and sizes." Amy told her. "Oh, those kind of people! The Fashion Club and I used to run into them now and then." Quinn told her. Amy just rolled her eyes. "What kind of help do you need Daria for anyway?" Helen asked. "Oh, I need her legs so I can run the one-hundred meter dash in the Olympics." Amy told her in her little sarcastic tone.

"Wait a minute! Then she’ll be in a wheel chair! I CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN! I WON’T LET HAPPEN!" Jake started as the veins started to pop out in his neck! "JAKE! She was only kidding!" Helen started in her exasperated tone. "Speaking of which!" Quinn started in as well. That was it, she couldn’t take it. "SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" a voice echoed in all three of their heads. All three sat down at once. "I need some help with classes and I knew Daria once substitute taught an English class once. So I figured she could use the experience and credit for her college classes. Plus it’s free food, room, and board. She’ll be paid nicely for her work. Is that okay?" Amy asked them. "I don’t see anything wrong with that. Do you Helen?" Jake asked. "Well, I would feel better knowing she’s with you. Her friend Jane is also there. As long as it’s okay with her, I’ll go along with it." Helen said. "Thank you very much Helen." Amy said, turned her chair around, and left. "What were we arguing about?" Jake asked her. "I can’t remember." Helen told him. "Why do I feel like reading a book? HEY! My watch stopped! I knew it was a cheap imitation!" Jake said as they all got up. Jake took off his watch, and threw it toward the trash. If he had been watching, he would have seen it automatically cling to one of the pots on the overhead rack. It had been magnetized.

"You know, this thing’s freezing!" Trent said as he laid himself down on the exam table. "So what is this thing? A tanning bed?" Trent asked Jodie. "Actually, it’s a machine that’s going to tell me what’s going on inside you." Jodie said as she flipped a few switches with her mind. "Oh, an X-ray machine. Trent said. "No, it’s a CAT scan." Jodie corrected him. "It still takes picture’s of people’s insides, right?" Trent asked her. "Well, yes." Jodie said. "Then it’s an X-ray machine." Trent said. "Don’t move." Jodie said as the bed Trent was on slid inside the machine.

"Let’s see what we’ve got here." Jodie said as she was examining the data screen. "So how’s claw boy?" Jane asked as she stepped into the room. "Getting the data now. That’s weird." Jodie said. "What?" Jane asked her.

"There’s some grinding noise coming from the machine. Something must be stuck." Jodie said.

"Let me hear it." Jane said.

Jodie flipped the speaker switch and the sound came out of the ceiling speakers. "That’s nothing jammed. Trent’s fallen asleep!" Jane said.

"Oh. Well at least – Oh My God!" Jodie said as she looked back at the data screen.

"You still won’t get away with this you freaks! You MONSTERS!" Miss Li shouted at them. "MONSTERS!?" Magnus shouted at Miss Li. With a glance, the metal of her cell made a wave and sent her flying backward! "Let me give you a history lesson! All through history, humans have destroyed what they don’t like or can’t control! HUMANS HAVE SLAUTERED INNOCENTS FOR FUN! YOU WOULD KILL US BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT! YOU TELL ME WHO THE FUCKING MONSTERS ARE!" Magnus screamed as the whole area rumbled and shook from his magnetic fields. He then turned and walked away with a nervous Tommy Sherman following close behind him. "Bitch." Magnus uttered as he left. "Bastard." Miss Li uttered as we walked out of sight.

"Hey, did they ever find the Tank?" Trent asked before she walked out. "That Tank?" Jodie asked, a little confused. "Yeah, it’s the van I was driving. It belongs to my friend Jesse. If he finds out it’s lost, he’ll skin me alive. Not to mention my guitar is in it." Trent said. "We haven’t found anything yet, but maybe I know a way." Jodie said. She closed her eyes, and looked like she was concentrating. Trent was a little confused until he felt a little weird in his head.

In her head, she flashes. Images of men in lab coats using needles and looking at x-rays. Then she saw one person, wearing round goggles, holding some sort of injector, and aiming it straight at him! Jodie broke contact as she gasped at the image! She just meant to find the car, not actually see what had happened to him! "Um, are you all right? You look freaked." Trent asked her. "Huh? Oh, yeah! Yeah, I was just trying to see where you left your car." She said. Trent just cocked one eyebrow in confusion. "I tapped into your head to see if I could find any clues." Jodie said. "Oh, okay. Find anything interesting in there?" he asked her. Jodie just took a big gulp. "Nope. Nothing at all." Jodie lied. He doesn’t need to know this crap! Not now, at least. She thought to herself. "Well, I hope you have a good a nights rest. See you tomorrow." Jodie said and left. "She’s cute." Trent said as he flopped down on the bed and went to sleep.

Daria couldn’t sleep. It was a comfortable bed and a nice room, but the place was just so, how could she put it? Too preppie, for her taste anyway. Of coarse Jane had altered her part of the room so she could feel normal. Daria had to make a point to do the same. She was fixing to close her eyes, when she heard moaning. She looked up, and saw it came from an air duct. She listened, and recognized the voice! It was Trent! What was he doing? Hopefully, just dreaming.

Trent was dreaming, but it was a bitter nightmare that flooded his mind. Flashes of a tank with fluid, men in goggles, scalpels, and the x-rays! They showed an arm with claws in it! Then an image of a person with goggles, glowing red! Holding something with gray liquid. Then they were pointing it right at him! Coming closer and closer! "Trent? Trent, wake up! TRENT!"

"AAAGGGHHH!" Trent shouted and all his claws came out! When his eyes focused to the dim light, he saw Daria standing in the doorway to his room with one eyebrow raised. "I’m glad I kept my distance." She said as she turned on the light. "Oh, Daria. Sorry about that, I think I had a bad dream."

"Oh really? What was so bad about it?" she asked as Trent retracted his claws, and Daria sat down on the bed. "I saw guys with cutting tools, and x-rays on the walls. Maybe I was remembering when I went to my first Peed Doctor." Trent said. "I think you might mean Pediatrician." Daria told him. "Um, you’re scared to come in because of those cheese knives. Aren’t you?" Trent asked. Daria looked down for a minute, then looked back up at him. "Trent, you were having a nightmare and I was scared that you’d extend those things." Daria told him. Trent looked down in thought. "I guess that is a smart thing to do. The other night, when I had another nightmare, I woke up and saw my sheets were shredded. Listen Daria, I’m sorry." Trent said.

"Sorry for what, Trent?" Daria asked. "About not making you the music you and Janie needed for that project." Trent told her. Daria thought for a moment, and remembered what he was talking about. "Trent, that was back then, it’s already been forgiven." Daria told him. "Not just that, but I’m also sorry for scaring you with the whole claws thing. I saw the way your face was when these things came out. You know, in the car." Trent told her. "Trent, I did get scared, but that was when I saw that gash in your head. I also made that face when I saw it heal instantly. No offence, but that would probably freak anybody out." Daria told him. "Hmm. Good point." Trent said. "So everything’s cool?" Trent asked her. "Yeah, everything’s cool." Daria told him.

Still, they kept looking at each other. They both knew something was there. They had always been drawn to each other. As they kept looking, Daria noticed their faces kept inching toward each other. Daria’s heart was pounding hard like a drum as her face neared his. ‘What am I doing? This is mad. Last time I did this, everything almost went to crap. God in heaven, don’t let this be a dream!’ Daria thought as her head was starting to swim. They both closed their eyes, and their lips met! She couldn’t believe this! For the longest time, she had always dreamed this, and now it was happening!

Then something went different! Something was wrong! She felt, stronger! Like she was more pumped, and sleepy! She opened her eyes and saw that Trent’s eyes were still closed, but the veins in his face were bulging! She could feel some sort of electricity pulsing from him to her! In a panic, she broke the kiss, and Trent fell over on the bed, snoring loudly. "Oh my god! Oh my God! Trent, can you hear me? TRENT! WAKE UP!" Daria said while shaking him! He was breathing, but not moving! Daria’s mind was now in a panic. She couldn’t think straight, until one thing finally came to her head. ‘AUNT AMY!’ her mind screamed!

‘Sorry Daria, but I don’t." Amy’s voice said inside both of their heads. They looked and saw Amy wheel into the room. "I’ve also found out what happened." Amy said to them. "What happened then?" Jane asked. "Well, as it turns out, our little Daria is a mutant." Amy told them. Daria’s eyes just bulged out of her head while Jane’s smirk grew a little bigger. "What happened was Daria absorbed some of Trent’s mutant ability. If she held on any longer, I don’t think Trent’s healing ability would have helped him." Amy said. Daria just looked down, now feeling incredibly guilty. "It’s okay Daria, you didn’t know anything. But you’re going to have to be careful." Amy told her. "So, what’s her ability?" Jane asked. "She can absorb people’s abilities and strengths with bare skin contact." Amy said. "How did you find this out?" Daria asked her. "I have a little device that helps me find out. I’m leaving it at that." Amy said.

"So, what does this mean? Daria can’t touch anybody anymore?" Jane asked. "I’m not sure. Daria still might be able to make contact with people, or might not. However, with concentration, she might be able to control it." Amy told her. "Well, I think I can only say one thing to Daria right now." Jane said. "What’s that?" Daria asked, puzzled. "Welcome to the Mutant Race, sister-in-law." Jane said to her. Daria just narrowed her eyes at her. "Maybe I’ll see if my little ability works on you!" Daria said as she slowly moved her hand to her friend’s face. "Not now you two. You’ve had a busy night, so why don’t you go to bed and sleep. From what I’ve seen with Trent, he’ll be out until noon. If not longer." Amy said. Jane helped Daria back to her room, while Amy sat in thought. ‘What are you thinking, Amy?’ Jodie asked with her mind. ‘I’m beginning to think that Sherman wasn’t after Trent. We may be dealing with something bigger than what we originally thought.’ Amy responded.

"Uh-oh." Sherman said as he watched her fall into the ocean. "Um, sorry boss." Sherman told Magnus. "Perfect. Everything is falling in place." Magnus said. "You mean, you wanted her to escape?" Sherman asked him. "Of coarse. She’ll tell Barksdale, no matter how much she hates it, and we’ll be able to get the mutant." Magnus said as he floated away. Sherman was walking toward the exit, when the bars straightened themselves! Tommy hit them head on with a loud CLANG! "HEY! WHAT GIVES?" Sherman asked Magnus. "That’s for being such an idiot!" Magnus said and floated off. "What an ass!" Sherman said. "I HEARD THAT!" Magnus’ voice boomed through out the room!

Li slowly woke up from her long sleep. When her focused, she noticed she was washed up on shore. It was a nice beach, with the sun slowly coming up on the horizon. "Wow, it’s even more boring than the paintings make it out to be. Now, I need to find out where I am! More importantly, I need to find a gun for that jerk in the helmet!" Li said as she got up and try to brush sand of her clothes. As she walked the beach, she spotted a man lying on a beach towel! "Finally! Some directions!" she said to herself! As she got nearer, she noticed the guy was naked, and needed to lose weight! "Ugh! They should make a law against people like that be nude on a beach! Mental note to self; capital punishment for nude fat people in public!" she said to herself. As she spotted a few more people, she also noticed they were naked!

"What the hell is this? A freak love in?" Li asked herself as she continued to walk. That was when she bumped into a well-built man carrying a floater for drowning swimmers. A lifeguard! She could finally report these nudists! "What are you doing, ma’am?" he asked Miss Li. "I’m trying to find help, but there are naked people all over the place!" she told him. "Miss, this is a nude beach, that’s how people always are." He said. "Oh, well I’m sorry for my mistake. At least clothing is optional." She said. The lifeguard pointed to a sign. Miss Li read it, and was shocked at what it said! "NUDE BEACH RESORT! NUDITY IS MANDITORY UNDER PENALTY OF ARREST FOR TRESSPASSING!" "OH CRAP!" Miss Li said.

"Are you on the grounds?" the voice asked over the earpiece. "Yea, I’m in. You know, you should just let me go back to Li’s campaign!" Mrs. Barch said as she sneaked in the bushes on the grounds for the School for Gifted People. "You can go back to political male bashing after this! Assume the form of one of the students, and get into the corridors below the school!" Magnus told Mrs. Barch. Barch scanned the entire grounds, at all the kids that were outside. Some were too small, and then others were too tall. Then she spotted her! The girl with black hair! She remembered her from Lawndale! Some artist! She would be perfect. "I’ve got a target. What about you?" Barch asked Magnus. "I’ll recruiting. We’ll talk afterward." Magnus said, and the transmission went out. Barch took a good look at Jane, and concentrated hard. Pretty soon, a Jane Lane with yellow eyes walked out of the bushes, and into the school.

Quinn was now just enjoying the cool breeze on her face as she walked. Who knew so much could happen in so little time? Especially since this mutant stuff started happening. Turned out her boss was a mutant! Something with mind powers. His bosses fired him because of it! Mom was still thinking about taking him as a client. It was still so much for Quinn. She wondered who else were mutants? It was scary, you didn’t know who could be one. If they were, would they be nice or really mean? Too many things to think about! It was giving Quinn a headache. "Why, if it isn’t the youngest Morgendorffer. How are we today my Phoenix hair temptress?" An all too sickening voice asked. "Get lost Upchuck!" Quinn told him. "A little hard to get? I like that! For a while, at least." Upchuck said, until his car stopped! "What? This thing can’t be dead! I just turned off the electric blanket twenty minutes ago!" Upchuck said as he pumped the gas.

"Nice try, Upchuck, but it isn’t going to work!" Quinn said as she turned around. Quinn’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped at the sight behind Charles. "What is it, Quinn? My stylish vehicle finally catch your eye?" Charles asked. Charles then noticed the shadow on his hood. When he turned, he shrieked like a little girl with a scrapped knee! He saw a man in blood red armor and a helmet floating over him. "Enough with your pitiful advances on the opposite sex!" the man said as he flipped his wrist, and Charles car floated off the ground! It was raised high enough to where Charles was eye level with armored man. "I have a proposal for you Charles. Or is it okay if I call you Reptile?" the man asked. "A-actually, I d-do mind?" Charles asked him. "Okay you little snot. How about just plain Frog?" he asked as he tightened his fist. As he did, the car began to fold, as if it was in a crusher! "Frog is just fine!" Charles said to him. "Good." Magnus said. Magnus then caught sight of the red headed girl. "Boo." He said to her.

"Eep!" was all Quinn said, before she vanished in a cloud of pink smoke! "Wow! That wasn’t expected at all!" Magnus said. Back in Quinn’s room, a cloud of pink smoke appeared! As soon as the pink smoke cleared, a wide-eyed Quinn just sitting on her bed. Quinn couldn’t believe what just happened! The man in the suit, and just then! She appeared in her room! She was a- one of them! She needed to talk to someone! Someone who knew how it was to be different. Who didn’t fit in! "DARIA!"

WHAM! Trent fell hard to the ground as the simulated blast knocked him on his butt! "Okay Trent, at least you sliced the robot’s head off before it shot you this time." Amy said over the intercom in the Danger Room. "Is this an improvement?" Jane asked her. "It is, if you’re a three toed sloth." Amy told her. Amy then grabbed her head, and grimaced in great pain! "Holy Crap! AMY! Are you okay?" Jane asked, and mentally kicked herself for asking a stupid question! "I just heard the most obnoxious voice screeching in my head! It sounded like it was panicking! A since of worry, about not being popular?" Amy asked to herself. "I only know one being on Earth who matches that criteria. Better get the team together on this." Jane told her. "Why is that?" Amy asked as she recovered. "I think Quinn has joined ‘The Outsiders.’" Jane said. "What about Daria?" Amy asked her.

"SHE’S WHAT?" Daria roared. "Your little sister is a mutant. Looks like we can’t enjoy being better than her anymore." Jane told her as she packed her bags, and dragged out a few of Daria’s. "Why not? Our powers are probably better than hers!" Daria told her. "Actually, with her being a mutant, we’re pretty much equals. Different subject, Trent is coming along well with his training. I think." Jane said. "What about me? What did all those tests that Jodie took say?" Daria asked her. "You can touch people, just not when you’re emotional." Jane told her. "What do you mean by that?" Daria asked her. "You know, not when you’re excited or sad. Extreme emotional situations." Jane told her. "How did you find this out?" Daria asked her. "When you took my pen today. You touched my hand and nothing happened. And Jodie somehow used all that equipment stuff. I’m always wondering where they keep getting the money to buy this stuff." Jane said. "I thought you said she spoils herself with her powers now and then." Daria said to her. "I did. I’m just wondering who’s spoiling her." Jane said to her friend.

"Hey guys, we need to get going if we’re going to go by Greyhound." Jodie said as she popped into their room. "Give us a minute. I’m just trying to get over the fact that Quinn is actually a mutant. And to think that all this time, I thought she was just acting like one." Daria said. "Who all is going?" Daria asked. "You, Jane, Mack, and Trent." Jodie told them. "Why Trent?" Jane asked her. "He said something about a song book in a burned shoe box." Jodie told them. "Good old Trent, always thinking about his music." Jane said as she helped Daria pack her stuff. "I wonder how Mom and Dad will take all this." Daria said to herself.

"So all I got to do is create a diversion? What kind of mission is that?" Charles asked. "It’s important to the plan. Keep the two in there occupied while I get the mutant! Any screw ups, and I’ll see how far that tongue of yours can stretch!" Magnus said. "Okay, let’s make some noise!" Sherman said as they walked into the station.

"NEXT!" the man in the ticket booth called. "Finally!" Mack said as he was looking at the schedule. Lane was finally getting tickets, while Mack made sure they were getting on the right bus. "I like your sunglasses." A voice said. Mack looked around. And saw a boy with an ice cream cone. "Thanks, man." Mack told him. "Are you a Terminator?" he asked him. "No, my eyes are sensitive to light. These are special sun glasses." Mack told him. "Oh, okay. Just as long as your not a bad robot." The boy said as he ate his ice cream. Mack smiled at the boy’s response. He wished he were that simple minded again. "Come on, honey. We don’t want to miss our bus!" his mom said as she got him by his free arm. "Evening, ma’am." Mack said to her, being polite. She took a brief look at Mack, and hurried her son along. "Mutant Freak!" she said to herself as she walked away. Mack now felt hurt. He still hadn’t gotten used to the fear and loathing some people had for him. All because he was just because he was different than everybody else. Now he knew what his dad and grandfather felt like during the Civil Rights Movement. That feeling just sucked!

"Sherman, are you in place?" Charles asked into the headset. "Check Frogie." Sherman said. "Then let’s do it." Charles said. He took a quick look around, and jumped! He hit the ceiling, and stuck there! He had a clear view of everything! He could see Jane and Mack, as well as Sherman heading to his target! All he had to do was move closer!

Without warning, he felt a slimy slap across his face! As he looked around, he noticed the roof over head exploded in a blast of energy! HIS VISOR HAD FALLEN OFF! "NO! NOT AGAIN!" Mack screamed and closed his eyes, then covered them with his hands! "MACK!" Jane screamed and made her way toward him! Jane then felt a vice like grip clasp around her throat from behind! "Not so fast, bitch! I’m not done with you yet! ‘Damn! I didn’t expect him to recover so quickly!’ Jane thought! "Can’t get me now, can you?" he asked as he turned her to face him! "Actually, I thought I’d taser your ass!" she said. "Huh?" was all Sherman asked.

He then saw Jane’s eyes turn white, and heard the sound of wind from above his head! He looked through the hole in the roof; he saw clouds gathering, and lightning starting to flash! "You’re not!" he said, before a massive bolt of lightning hit him in the chest like a batterinng ram, making him let go of Jane and sending him flying through the wall! "Teach you to call me a bitch!" Jane told him as she saw a hulking body smoldering. "Whoa!" was all Sherman could say.

"You know, you don’t have to sit so far away." Trent said to Daria. "What do you mean? I’m sitting right next to you." Daria told him. "I didn’t mean physically." Trent said. "Oh. Well, I’m just nervous about, you know." Daria told him. "Listen Daria, Jane told me about your powers. It’s cool. At least you don’t always drain people all the time." Trent told her. "That’s true. Trent, why did you kiss me last night?" Daria asked him. "It felt right. Tell you the truth, I always liked you. Since that day we went to Alternapoloza. I just didn’t do anything about it because of the age thing." Trent told her. "Oh, that." Daria said. "Then you dated Tom, and I thought that was good, since he isn’t as screwed up as me." Trent told her. "Trent, you’re not screwed up. Not that much at least." Daria said. Trent gave his usual laugh, then cough. "Besides, I’m sure Amy can give you a job teaching. I heard it pays well." Daria said to him. "I’ll think about it. I want to mainly find out where I got the cheese knives." Trent said as he popped his knuckles. "To find out why they did that?" Daria asked him. "No, to find my guitar. That was the only one I had, and I can’t afford another one." Trent said. ‘Figures.’ Daria thought to herself.

Daria found herself slamming against Trent as the bus was rocked to the left, hard! Everyone looked, and saw the lights go out! "What’s happening?" Daria asked. "Earthquake?" Trent guessed, concerned. The driver then passed them, screaming! He crouched in the back of the bus, whimpering. "What’s with him?" Trent asked. Then the sound of metal twisting was heard through out the bus! When Daria and Trent looked forward, the Front end was ripped into pieces! As the metal tore on it’s own, a figure in blood red and dark purple armor floated into the bus, with a flowing dark purple cape. "There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you." Magnus said as he looked at Daria and Trent. Trent got up from his seat, looking pissed as hell! "You want me, you’re going to have to try it in pieces!" Trent said as he extended his claws! Magnus pointed his hand out, and Trent stiffened! Trent then floated up, and was still looking at Magnus. "Such an idiot! I want your girlfriend!" Magnus said as Daria’s eyes bulged out of her head! "Try it and I’ll!"

"Try what? You can’t do anything to me! Now, piss off!" Magnus said, and straightened his hand! "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Trent shouted as he shot through the bus like a bullet out of a gun, and through the back end, crashing into the bus behind them! ‘Come on, Morgendorffer, think of something!’ Daria thought to herself! She had one idea, and hoped she was scared enough to do it! She took a leap at Magnus, and tried to make a grab for his face behind the opening in the helmet! Magnus caught her, and Daria could just see his eyes! "Nice try, sweetie! An A+ in effort, but an F in succeeding." Magnus said, and sprayed her with knock out gas. "Frog, Fang Face, Target captured. Return to base." Magnus said, and floated out with Daria.

"Man, did anyone catch the number on that MAC truck that hit me?" Sherman asked as he stood up. "Quit goofing off, moron! We can head back to HQ." Charles said as he jumped off the groggy Sherman. "Man, did you step in something?" Sherman asked as he noticed a weird odor. As got to his feet. He realized it was the smell of his chest hair that the lightning bolt had fried! Jane was trying to get Mack to uncover his eyes. "Mack, drop the hands!" Jane said. "I can’t! I don’t want you to get burned!" he said. "Mack, I’ve got an extra pair of your sunglasses in my pocket. Unless you want to be blinder than a Fashion model, drop your hands. Jane fished out the spare sunglasses, and slipped on Mack’s face. "Better?" Jane asked him. "Yeah. Now I feel like frying a pain in the ass!" Mack said as they went after Sherman and Charles!

Sherman and Charles were through the door, when the steps they were on caved in! When they looked up from the hole they were in, they saw Mack with his hand on a pair of red sunglasses. "Say Jane, Do you prefer Original Recipe or Extra Crispy?" Mack asked her. "Extra, EXTRA, Crispy." Jane answered. Mack was about to lift his sunglasses, when the doors slammed shut on them! "Not today!" Magnus said. "HOLD IT!" a voice, shouted as the sounds of bullets being loaded into the chambers of different guns was echoed into the not so silent night. The three turned to see most of the local police force. "You simple chimps and your damn dirty guns!" Magnus said.

All the guns flew out of the hands of the officers, some were bent beyond recognition, and the rest of the other guns were aimed at the police. "Now who has the upper hand?" Magnus asked them. Magnus was then surprised when Charles grabbed him by the throat, and began to squeeze! "Let them go, Magnus!" Charles said. "Let go of me, Frog!" Magnus said. "I-I can’t! Something isn’t letting me use my own body! Rowl!" Charles said. Magnus then scanned the crowd, and spotted a black sports car with the hood up! "I KNOW OF ONLY ONE MUTANT WHO CAN DO THIS! WHY DON’T YOU TALK TO ME YOURSELF!" Magnus shouted. He was surprised to see Amy come out of the car in her chair, and roll up to him. "All right, you bastard. What do you want with my niece?" Amy asked him. "I simply need her for a little project. She shouldn’t get hurt." Magnus told her.

Magnus then noticed the way Amy Barksdale kept looking at him, and felt a slight buzz in his head. "Nice try, Amy. This little helmet isn’t just a fashion accessory. It keeps that big head of yours out of where it doesn’t belong." Magnus told her. "Look who’s talking. Your head is so big; it could lift the Eiffel Tower of the ground." Amy told him. "Always the Cynic. You’ve haven’t changed at all, Amy. Always the same and always predicable. Now let me go, or I’ll make sure Daria here isn’t so pristine when you get her back!" Magnus told her. Soon, Frog let go of Magnus’ throat. "Thank you, Amy. WE will meet again." Magnus said. Soon, a metal disk formed under them from all the guns and ammo and lifted them into the air. "Everyone, Quinn will have to wait. We have an emergency!" Amy said as the cops were trying to figure out what the hell had just happened!

Within a few minutes, they were in front of what Amy called ‘The Vault.’ The doors opened after scanning her eyes, and let her in. As soon as she was in, the doors closed. Everyone else was in the hall, just waiting on her. "What is that place?" Trent asked them. "The Vault. She can track any mutant, and just about find out their power. That’s how she found us." Jodie told Trent. "Why aren’t we in there?" Trent asked her. "She doesn’t know what affects it will have if there is anyone else in there. So unless you want to risk your brain being fried, go on ahead." Jodie said. "Too late. His brain is already fried." Jane said, trying to lighten the moment. "No offence Jane, but shut up!" Trent said. Jane was a little taken back, and hurt, by hearing him saying that. But she got over it when she thought about where he was coming from. She was hoping she could find Daria soon.

Amy rolled to the platform, and stopped. She put on the helmet, and started to flip a few switches, and started to think. "Let’s get to work. She said as she looked around to see if everything was running. The walls were starting to light up, so that meant the machine was warming up. As she looked down, she saw a silver light. As she tried to make it out, it looked like a CD. What was a CD doing in there? She was about to stop the machine, when the WARNING light started to flash around the CD port. "OH CRAP!" she said! As she reached for the helmet, Britney Spears music echoed through the room! Amy grimaced in pain as it echoed the room and into her head! She threw off the helmet, and hit the alarm button! The machine shut down, and the walkway extended!

When the alarm echoed through the hall, Jodie, Mack, and Jane had a look of panic! The doors opened and they rushed in! They saw Amy clutching her head! A twisted look of pain was on her face as they got to her. "Damn it! Damn it!" she said. "What’s wrong?" Trent asked. "Something went wrong with the machine!" Jodie said as she tried to examine Amy. "CRAP! NO WONDER!" Jane shouted! They turned to see her pull out the CD from the panel. "This is Britney Spears!" Jane shouted toward them! "So?" Trent asked. "The only music that helps Amy concentrate in here is music by The Who! With that crap, she probably has a major headache!" Jodie told him! "WHOA! That’s just cruel and unusual!" Trent said to them. "Get her to the medical bay! I need some ice, and some Advil on the double! Jodie told them as they wheeled her out.

Trent opened the elevator door, and got the shock of his life to see a naked Miss Angela Li in front of him! "Um, is Amy Barksdale here?" she asked Trent. "I’ll take you to her, as long as you put on clothes first!" Trent told her. "Sounds fair." Miss Li said.

"I don’t want to know how you ended up naked in my elevator, but I do want to know why you are in my school." Amy told her. "It was all the fault of some sick mutant named Magnus! Him and his Organization of Superior Mutants!" Li said as she made sure her robe was tied together well! "Magnus? Guy in armor and a helmet? Dorky looking cape?" Jane asked her. "That’s him! The idiot flashed a light in my face! I have no clue why! Anyway, I found out the bars were too wide, and I slipped out! For some reason, I just thought I had to come here! I was hiding up here when I saw Miss Lane exit the elevator a few hours ago!" Miss Li told them. "What time was ‘a few hours ago?’" Amy said. "I think around nine thirty." Miss Li told them. "Barch! She must be the one who sabotaged The Vault!" Jodie said. "Jodie, access her thoughts." Amy said. "Why?" Jodie asked her. "I want to know more about this flash light that knocked Magnus on his ass! And my head ache is still killing me!" Amy told them. "Okay. Miss Li, this won’t hurt a bit." Jodie said to her as she touched her head. "Wait just a minute!" Miss Li said, but too late. Jodie was looking into her head. After a short while, Jodie took her hand away. "It looked like a pen light. It looked like it was giving off radiation." Jodie said. "Mutation! Trying to activate mutation!" Amy said to herself. "Obviously it didn’t work! The damn thing almost blinded me!" Li said. "Still, why take Daria?" Trent asked them. "He doesn’t know it doesn’t work. He’s going to use it to try and turn people into mutants!" Mack said. "And since it doesn’t work, it’s going to blind people instead!" Jane told them. "I’ll be back." Jodie said and left the room.

Mack went out into the hall to talk to her, just in time to see her walk into The Vault! "JODIE! NO!" Mack said as he ran for the door! The door closed on him before he could get inside, locking him out! "JODIE! DON’T DO IT! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW IT WILL REACT TO YOU! JODIE!" Mack shouted!

Jodie flipped on the switches, and made sure the CD player was working. She slipped on the helmet, and activated the machine. The room started to glow; indicating the machine was warming up. All of a sudden, she heard the intro to teenage wasteland echoing through out the room, and in her head! It was actually relaxing her too! As soon as the piano kicked in, the room looked as if it broke apart, and showed a planetarium view of the world! She thought about the humans, and little silver lights lit up the continents! She then thought about mutants, and then gold colored lights replaced the silver colored lights. "Wow!" Jodie said. Jodie then thought about Daria, trying to find Daria. Then the map zoomed in on Washington D.C. and then straight to the Washington monument! Then, it went inside where it showed Daria tied to a machine, Tommy Sherman, Charles Ruttheimer III, and Magnus! They were all inside the Washington Monument! Now how does she deactivate this thing? Oh crap, it’s worth a try. ‘Find Amy Barksdale’ she thought. As soon as it found her, she saw Amy say, "Jodie, just hit the off switch!" "Oops." Jodie said, and switched it off. As soon as the doors opened, Mack came racing toward her, giving her a bear hug! "What were you doing in there?" he asked her. "They’re inside Washington Monument." Jodie told them.

"Can this thing get there in time?" Trent asked them. "You bet your ass it can, Big Brother." Jane told them. "Jane, we’re going to need some cover." Mack told Jane. "The Ice Woman Cometh." Jane told them as she and Mack fired up the jet. Trent was still trying to get use the feel of the Navy Blue jump suit. "You guys go out in these things?" he asked them. "What? Do you want black leather instead?" Mack asked him. "Nah, I see him more in just yellow spandex." Jane told them. Trent replied to both of their remarks by extending his middle claw on both hands. "Flattery gets you no where. Now let’s go show Magnus what we’re made of." Jane said. The hanger doors above the jet opened up, and the jet elevated itself up until it was clear from the school grounds, and shot off like a rocket while being covered by a strange blizzard!

The jet landed softly, and the four heroes went out to save their friend. "Be on your guard. The goon squad is probably lurking around here some where." Mack said to them. "Wait a minute." Trent said. Trent smelled the air, and smelled something familiar. "You smell that?" Trent asked them. "Smell what?" Jodie asked Trent. "It smells like cheap perfume, and science class." Trent said. "Barch." Jane said. "I can track her. I handle Miss Science, you handle the other geeks." He said as he walked of toward the viewing pond. "Trent!" Jane said.

"Jane, can you get rid of the snow storm?" Mack asked her. "Sorry about that." Jane said as the storm disappeared. As soon as it lifted, they saw Trent walking back. "You find her already?" Jane asked him. "Nah, I lost the scent around the water." He told them. Behind his back, his fist balled up, and extended his claws! "AAHH!" came a shout as a figure tackled Trent to the ground! When both stood up, they were both Trent! "DAMN IT!" Jane said as they saw two Trents fighting it out! "GET DARIA! I’LL TAKE CARE OF – IT!" one of them shouted. "You heard him, let’s go!" Mack said as the rest of them took off in a sprint. Both fighters were slashing and clawing at each other! No hits so far! Both were getting aggravated at being mimes! "You know, I thought you hate men!" Trent told the copy. "I do! So what?" he asked the original Trent. "So why the hell are you looking like one?" Trent asked it. "CRAP! YOU’RE RIGHT!" the Trent copy shouted and melted into Mrs. Barch! When she looked up, she got a fist in the face! Barch went down!

As she tried to regain her senses, she could make out Trent’s shape. "That was for giving me F’s for no reason!" Trent told her. "You were a lousy student, and you were a man!" she shouted at him. "No excuse." he said. "Barch then kicked him in the crotch, but Trent didn’t move! "What gives?" she asked out loud. "A cup! Greatest idea a jock ever thought of!" Trent said as they went back to fighting! "I AM NOT LETTING SOME MAN WIN TODAY!" she said as she tried to get Trent into a sleeper hold!

"BARCH!" a gruff voice shouted from behind them both. They both turned to see a shirtless, very dirty, Mr. DeMartino. "What the hell are you doing here! I dropped you off into the woods to freeze!" she told him. "You made TWO mistakes, Barch! ONE was leaving your HEADSET with me!" he told her. "The other?" she asked him. "The OTHER is dealing WITH A BAD ASS MUTANT!" DeMartino said as his skin began to change color and harden! Soon, Mr. DeMartino stood as a buff, shining steel mutant. "Holy crap!" Trent said as his eyes almost popped out of his head. "LET’S DANCE!" DeMartino shouted. Barch charged at him screaming, with DeMartino charged her shouting! Only thing Trent made out was the sound of a medal CLANG! And a very pissed off Mrs. Barch flying through the sky like a rocket and landing in the reflecting pool! "I always DIDN’T like that woman!" Mr. DeMartino said. "Thanks man. I need to go save my girlfriend now." Trent said. "I’ll help. I’ve got a BONE to pick with that TIN PLATED JERK!" Mr. DeMartino said and followed Trent.

"Secure the perimeter, let’s try and figure out where they are." Mack said. They split up, and Jane was rushing to find a way in! "Come on, where’s a damn opening?" Jane asked. Then she felt something slimy slap her on the ass! "What the hell?" Jane asked as she spun around! There was the little frog known as Upchuck! "Why the beautiful Miss Lane! What a nice surprise!" Charles said. "Time to send this toad to the science lab!" Jane said as she balled her fists! Charles took a running leap, and slammed his feet into her chest, knocking her to the ground! "Not so easy this time! Too bad about your friend Daria too!" Charles said as he inched closer to Jane. Jane eyes popped open with glowing white eyes! For a minute, it looked as if she had headlights! She got up, with the mother of all thunder storms brewing above them! Then she actually lifted herself off the ground! She was floating! "I always wondered what Frog Legs tasted like! FRY YOU LITTLE SICK FREAK!" Jane shouted as Charles got a huge lightning bolt up the ass! That sent him flying up into the sky, and into the storm clouds! Lightning lit the clouds in different parts, and the cries of a poor schnook were heard! Then the something smoldering landed right into the reflection pond, next to an unconscious Mrs. Barch! "Loser!" Jane said as her eyes returned to normal, and she landed on her feet. "Jane, what was that?" Mack asked over their Comm systems. "Nothing. Just a annoyance that I got rid of." Jane said.

They all met at the foot of the reflecting pond, along with Trent and Mr. DeMartino in tow. They got a brief shock from seeing him, then snapped out of it. "Any luck?" Mack asked. "None what so ever." Jane told them. "Everybody LEAVE!" Mr. DeMartino told them. "Why?" Jodie asked him. "Because I CAN’T move!" he said. "Me neither." Trent said. Soon, both got pulled upward and through the monument! Before the other three could react, all three of their heads came crashing together!

When they woke up, they were at the spot in the monument where Mr. DeMartino and Trent had been pulled. Mr. DeMartino was stuck to the wall, and Trent was strapped with medal beams, with his fists pointing at his chest! Jane looked, and saw Jodie and Mack strapped to the wall, with Mack facing Jodie without his visor! Mack was also starting to wake up! "MACK! KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED! YOUR VISOR’S OFF!" Jane shouted. Mack gasped and kept his eyes closed. "Where’s Jodie?" he asked Jane. "In front of you." She told him. "Oh, snap!" Mack said, and closed his eyes tighter! "A nice happy family! Just what I vision from the start!" Magnus said as he stepped out of a corner. "You jerk!" Mack said through clenched teeth. "I just want to make sure no one interrupts my plans." Magnus told them. "Your – your machine doesn’t work. Miss Li is still normal." Jodie said. "Nice bluff. The prototype should work! By now she’s a full mutant! Soon, with the nation’s capitol as one of us, they will have no choice but to accept us!" Magnus said. "Okay, here’s a few problems. One, your plan will just ignite a war between humans and mutants. And two, the damn thing doesn’t work! You’ll just be blinding the damn city!" Jane told him. "And third, if you believed in any of that sanctimonious crap, it would be you in there and not DARIA!" Trent told him through clenched teeth. "My dear young man, she won’t be harmed. She’ll feel like she has the world’s biggest hang over, but she won’t be harmed. Now excuse me, I have work to do!" Magnus said, and headed to the top of the monument! "Well, if it ain’t taser lady! Can’t get me now, can you?" Sherman said as he was fixing to try and grope Jane again. "LEAVER HER ALONE SHERMAN!" Trent shouted, fixing to go in rage mode again. "Who cares, numb nuts! You can’t do anything! Maybe I’ll try out that Misery Chic girl of yours!" Sherman said. That pushed Trent over the edge! His face turned red, his teeth bared, and his veins bulged! He let out a huge roar of anger, and his claws extended and went through him! Trent hung there by his claws, with his restraints broken. He retracted his claws, fell to the floor, and lay still.

"Whoa! The moron killed himself!" Sherman said while the others were unable to say anything. Sherman went over to check Trent out, only to get three claws in the crotch! Sherman let out a yell so high; it would have shattered glass! Then Trent sank his other claws into Sherman’s gut! With one loud yell, he threw Sherman out of the monument! Trent watched as Sherman hit the pool, causing a small wave that washed the other two unconscious forms onto the shore. "Why do they hit that damn pool? Is it a magnet for losers?" Trent asked himself. He then cut away the others bonds, and yanked Mr. DeMartino down from the wall. Mr. DeMartino then turned back into his normal old self. "They’re at the top, how do I get there?" Trent asked them. "I’ve got an idea." Jodie said as she picked up Mack’s fallen visor and gave it back to him.

Daria was now a little scared. She was sitting in some kind of cage that looked like the glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Just no glass or fancy buttons! Then Magnus showed up in front of her! "Well, your friends are here. Unfortunately, they’re a little tied up!" Magnus said as he opened his palms. The medal rope around Daria’s wrists forced her to stand up. Magnus then removed his gloves and touched Daria! Daria could feel massive power shoot through her like a river! A real Rush! Then, her hands felt something pull them down! She latched onto the handles, and machine started to glow! Magnus let go in time to see Sherman be thrown out of the hole in the monument, and fall into the pool! "Why those little!" Magnus said. He was weak, but had to fight! He got his gloves back on and stood up. When looked, he saw a flying person! No, it was a person in a small tornado! As soon as it stopped, then person landed on Magnus! "Surprise!" Trent said and punched him in the gut! Trent extended his claws, and cut the machine to crap! "NO!" Magnus shouted! "Why you! I’ll!" Magnus started, but then stopped! He saw Daria, her hands pointed at him! "Use me as a battery? I DON’T THINK SO!" Daria shouted.

"Is anything happening up there?" Mack asked Jodie. "I can’t tell." Jodie told him. That’s when Magnus plowed through the roof and landed hard on the floor! "I think I need an aspirin." Magnus moaned. They looked to see Daria float down with Trent beside her. Trent grabbed Magnus by the collar, and had his fist balled and clawed extended! "You have kidnapped, tortured, and tried to harm my sister and my girlfriend! Not to mention my other friends! Plus, You don’t even have my guitar! I don’t know why I shouldn’t pierce your head!" Trent said, his face was red. "Trent, don’t." Jane, Daria, and everybody else were saying. Trent shouted, threw his fist, and retracted his claws at the last minute! Magnus landed on the ground face first, while his helmet flew out the hole in the wall. "Let’s see who this Turkey really looks like." Mack said as he and Trent turned him over. Everyone automatically gasped at the sight they saw! "Whoa!" was all Trent could say. "It couldn’t be!" Jane said astonished. "I can’t believe this!" Daria said as she saw the villain’s face.

"MOM?" Daria asked as she saw her dazed and confused mother wipe away blood from her lip. "Hi sweetie. I suppose a bribe won’t help this time, will it?" she asked. "I think Amy is going to have a cow when she finds this out.”

On the TV, it showed a happy faced Miss Li walking down the halls of congress with a bandaged up aid. The aid looked like the invisible man! "Congresswoman Li! What’s your stance on the mutant problem?" a reporter asked her. "From recent situations, I can say that there is no mutant problem. I can admit when I’m wrong! Come on Frog, I mean Charlie!" Miss Li said as she put a hand on her jaw! "Look at that!" Mack said and paused it with the Tivo. In the frozen frame, Miss Li’s eyes were yellow! "Damn it! It’s Barch!" Jane said. "How much you want to bet that isn’t the invisible man with her?" Daria asked them. Trent did his usual laugh, then cough. Daria and Jane turned and saw Trent standing there. They both went to talk to him. "Where you heading now, stranger?" Jane asked him. "To get my guitar. Listen Jane, sorry about telling you to shut up." Trent said to her. "Hey, water under the bridge! I completely understand. Do it again, and I’ll make you reenact the Donner Party!" Jane said with a smirk. Trent smiled and hugged her. He then looked at Daria. "You were planning on saying goodbye, weren’t you?" Daria asked him. "To Jane, but not to you." He told her. "W-why is that?" she asked him. "Because I’m bringing you with me." He said with a smile. Daria just looked frozen then smiled too. "Let me get my coat." She said as she ran upstairs. "You’re serious, huh?" Jane asked him. "I don’t want to lose her. I also want to keep her safe." He told Jane. "I bet you will." She said to him. "Oh, what’s with the white streak in her hair?" Trent asked Jane. "The new ‘Mutant’ Fashion club, with Quinn’s leadership, did that in her sleep. She got even though." Jane said to him. "How?" Trent asked her. "She pasted a few spots of cat hair on Quinn, and it made her think she was growing hair because of her ability." Jane said with a smile. "Cool." Trent said.

"Ready to go." Daria said as she came down the stairs with her green jacket. "Cool." He said as they headed toward the door. "We’ll be back soon, Jane." Daria told her. "I’ll be here old friend!" Jane said as the door closed. A few minutes later, she saw Trent and Daria ride of on a motorcycle through the living room window. "HEY THAT’S MY BIKE!" Mack shouted as he saw them ride past the windows. Jane couldn’t help but crack up laughing.

"Amy, doesn’t it wake you up in the middle of the night, wondering that the government will come and take everyone of your students away?" Helen asked her sister as they played checkers. "You know Helen, it actually does. Almost all the time." Amy told her sister as she jumped a few of her pieces. "What do you think then?" Helen asked her as she made a few moves. "I’m going to feel so sorry for the dumb bastard that tries to take my students." She said as Amy jumped a few more pieces. "Amy, thank you for watching Daria, and coming here." Helen said. "Hey, what are sister’s for. Any luck on that appeal?" Amy asked her. "Nothing yet, but I can be mean when I want to be." She told her. "As we all saw those few days ago." Amy mentioned. "Very funny. You know, Amy, there is going to be a war between them and us. And I’m going to be ready, and protect my girls." Helen told her. "And I’m always going to be here, keeping an eye on you and everybody else. I’m willing to help those who need it. I’ll see you around, Dear Sister." Amy said as she rolled out of the plastic legal office/prison cell her sister was in. When Helen looked at the board, she saw Amy had wiped out most of the pieces and made it to her side of the board. "King you." Helen said and started to put it up. "Oh, where’s the real Miss Li?" Helen asked Amy. "I have no idea!" Amy told her.

Somewhere out there, on a nice warm beach, a nude Miss Li lies on the sand enjoying her tan. Knowing her revenge would begin in a short period of time.

THE LAWNDALE FACTOR

End of Part One.

Coming Soon

The Children of The Evolution