Winona closed the door behind her and looked around the dark area. She turned on the flashlight in her hand and shone the light around the room.

There were old tarps hanging from some parts of the ceiling. Sheets covered different objects in the room. The place looked abandoned and Winona was happy about that.

She couldn't figure out what this building used to be but she didn't really care. She walked over to one of the objects covered by a dirty sheet. Once she pulled the sheet off, she could see that there was a small wooden table underneath it. Two chairs sat on either side of the table.

Winona placed her backpack down on top of the table and walked to another sheet. She pulled it off and it was a sofa. A small smile came across her face and she looked around the room. She then began looking for a light switch.

She shone her light along the walls. After a few minutes, she found a switch and flipped it up. No light turned on and she sighed in annoyance. Winona began to look around the room. She found a fridge, though it didn't seem to work. She found a bathroom, that looked as though it hadn't been cleaned in years.

She then found an LED table lamp and went to turn it on. Light flooded out of the lamp, which shocked her. "Thank God," she whispered. Winona picked up the lamp and walked back to the main area and took a seat on one of the chairs around the table.

She unzipped the smallest pocket of her backpack and pulled out a burner phone. There was a message from Renee's burner phone and Winona opened it.

296-554-6598: You idiot! What the hell were you thinking? Call me now!

Winona bit her lip and began dialing Renee's phone number. A faint noise caused the girl to pause. She looked around the room, shining her flashlight, as well as the lamp, in every direction. The lamp on its own didn't give off that much light. She took a deep breath and turned back around in her seat.

"Calm down Winnie. There's nothing there," she mumbled. She pressed the talk button on the phone and pressed the phone to her ear. She listened to the phone ring and turned back to where she though she heard a noise. She saw nothing.

Right when she was about to turn back around, she saw a bright light. Winona's eyes widened and she quickly ended the call. She grabbed her backpack and scurried toward the mini kitchen area. She looked around for some sort of weapon but could only find a bottle of wine.

She grew confused for a brief moment before grabbing the bottle. Suddenly, the overhead lights turned on. Winona's eyes widened further and she slid down to the floor, her back resting against the cabinets. Her breathing picked up and she desperately tried to keep quiet.

She pressed the back of her hand against her lips. "Are you sure she's here?" A male voice asked. Winona closed her eyes briefly as she listened. "Yeah, this is where her trail ends," another male voice said. "But how do you know for sure? I mean you said it yourself, you were having trouble tracking her." That was a woman.

Winona opened her eyes and gripped the wine bottle tighter. "That was before. But she got sloppier, more desperate. That made it easier to track her," the second male voice answered. "Whatever you say," the female muttered. "We should spread out and look for her," the first male said.

She heard nothing else and remained frozen in her spot. She heard footsteps walking in different directions. Winona didn't move for a moment. She then peered around the counter. Seeing no one, she quickly ran toward the way she came in. "Hey!" Someone called.

Winona quickly turned around and saw a man. She gripped the bottle tighter and examined him. He had short dark hair and tanned skin. He wore regular clothes and this confused the girl. Winona lifted the bottle up and he lifted his hands in surrender. "I'm not gonna hurt you, all right? Just put the bottle down," he said.

The girl slowly lowered the bottle and he slowly lowered his hands. She then lifted it again and chucked it at his head. The man barely dodged out of the way before it hit his head. The bottle smashed as it hit the wall behind him, liquid dripping from the spot it had hit. She turned back around and went to run to the door. A woman with dark black hair and pale skin was stood in front of her.

"That wasn't very nice," she said. Winona backed up and looked between the two. "Stay away from me," she commanded. "Look, just calm down, okay? We're not gonna hurt you," the woman said. "I'm not letting you take me. I'm not going to prison," Winona said.

The man slowly went to stand next to the woman and Winona backed away from them. Her back slammed into something and she whipped her head around quickly. Another man was stood behind her, his hands now raised. His hair was dark as well, except it was longer than the other man's. He had tan skin also and she could see the muscles protruding from under his shirt. Their eyes met momentarily before she tore her gaze away from his.

Winona looked between the three and back at the man behind her when he spoke. "We're not the police," he said. "Then who the hell are you?" Winona asked. "My name is John. Those are my friends, Marcos and Lorna," he said. Winona gripped onto one of the straps of her backpack, which rested on her back.

"What do you want?" She asked next. "We're with something called the Mutant Underground. We help mutant fugitives. Give them food, clothes, a place to sleep. We give them refuge, keep them safe," the man, Marcos, said. "Okay, so what do you want with me? To give me refuge or some shit?" Winona said.

"Pretty much," Lorna answered. "How did you find me?" Winona asked next. Marcos and Lorna looked at John. "I tracked you," John said. "You tracked me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked. Lorna held up a hand. "That's an explanation that I don't want to hear," she said. She then smirked at Winona.

"You're Winona Martin. We saw you on the news. Somebody recognized you in a restaurant and then called the police, right? Sent you on the run again. We figured you could use our help," she added. "Why would you want to help me?" Winona asked next. "Because we're mutants, just like you. And we devote our lives to helping mutants in need," Marcos answered.

"Why would I go with you?" She asked next. Lorna groaned, "You ask a lot of questions." Winona scowled at her. "I think I'm allowed to ask questions," she snapped. Lorna narrowed her eyes at the girl. "You're in an abandoned building. You were in the dark and you probably don't have much food. Or even a blanket. Not to mention you're probably starving," John said.

"I'm fine," Winona said. "Yeah, I bet you are," Lorna said with a scoff. "Look, we want help you, okay? Just let us help you," John said, his brown eyes piercing into her own. She held his gaze. "You say you help mutants, right?" She asked. John nodded. "You might already know this but, last year, my sister was taken by Sentinel Services. And I've been trying to find out where she is so that I can help her. Can you help me do that?" Winona said.

"We can discuss this later. Right now, we should get back. It's not safe here," Marcos said. Winona broke her stare with John and looked between the three, an unsure look on her face. "How do I know you're telling the truth? If you're mutants, then prove it," Winona said. "All right," Lorna said. She looked around the room before lifting one of her hands.

A green glow emitted from her hand. An object flew across the room and into her palm. Lorna's fingers curled around it and she gripped it tightly. "I can manipulate magnetism. So I can control metal," Lorna said before dropping the object onto the floor. Winona nodded mutely. Marcos then lifted his hand and a blinding light emitted from them.

"I can absorb and manipulate photons," Marcos said. "I don't know what photons are," Winona admitted. A laugh left Marcos' lips and he smiled at her. She then turned to John who walked over to the fridge. He opened it before ripping the door off of it. "Damn," she muttered.

"So you have super strength," Winona said louder so that he could hear. "My abilities are a little more complicated than that. I have heightened senses and abilities, which is why I'm so strong and also how I was able to track you," John responded.

"So you're a superhuman or something?" She asked him. "Well, I wouldn't put it like that but, yeah, I guess you could say that," he said. "Well then I don't see what's complicated about that," Winona said nonchalantly. Behind her, Lorna and Marcos began to laugh. John sent the two a glare before turning back to Winona.

She looked at the three who were looking at her. "Well, I read minds, to put it simply. I can do more than just that. And I can scream really loud. Oh and kill people, I've done that," she said awkwardly. Lorna cleared her throat uncomfortably. "If we're being technical, I've only killed one person. And it was an accident. Not that anyone cares about that," she added, saying the last sentence quietly.

The other three mutants remained quiet and she looked down at her hands. "How do you have two powers? I mean, they're not even all that similar," Marcos said suddenly. "If they're even similar at all," Lorna mumbled. Winona gave him a look, "You really think I know?"

"Maybe they connect some way. What I don't understand is why your abilities didn't present themselves when you were younger," John chimed in. "Guys, we really should probably get going. We can talk about this later," Lorna said. John nodded and looked at Winona expectantly.

"So, will you come with us?" He asked, his tone somewhat hopeful. She weighed her options in her head before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I guess," she answered. "All right, let's go," Lorna said, a small smirk on her lips.

····

Winona stepped out of the van and looked up at the building in front of her. It was huge. She couldn't even imagine how many mutants it could house.

It was old, that much was obvious. And it wasn't much. There wasn't anything fancy about the building. But she couldn't help but stare at it in amazement. Maybe it was because of what the building did. It kept people safe. And not just anyone: mutants. That simple fact filled her with a sense of happiness. It also gave her hope.

"I know, it's not much," John said, coming to stand next to her, his shoulder lightly brushing her own. "I've slept in a car more times than I can count. This, is more than enough," Winona replied. She then followed after Lorna and Marcos into the building.

When she entered, her ears were immediately filled with chatter. Numerous people were bustling about the building. She looked around the building and could see a few of the different rooms. "Hey," Lorna said, successfully gaining Winona's attention. "Follow me. I'll show you to where you'll be sleeping for the time being," the girl said.

Winona followed Lorna up the stairs. Marcos and John had disappeared into one of the downstairs rooms as she made her way up. "What did you mean, 'for the time being'? Am I not gonna be sleeping in the same room?" Winona asked the darker haired girl. Lorna shrugged, "I don't know how long you'll be staying here. We usually have new mutants stay for a couple of days before we find them somewhere else to stay."

"Somewhere else? Like where?" Winona asked next. "Like Mexico," Lorna said. "Why didn't you guys tell me this before? I wouldn't have agreed to come if I had known," Winona said, stopping on the steps. Lorna stopped too and turned to her. "Why not?" She asked. "Because I've been moving about the country for years. It wasn't until not too long ago that I found somewhere safe to stay. But it wasn't like I could stay there forever. It'd put people at risk," Winona began.

"Is there a point to this story?" Lorna asked impatiently. "You people made it seem as though you were giving me permanent refuge. That I was finally safe. And I haven't felt safe in a long time," Winona said. "Look, you are safe. And you'll be safe wherever it is you might end up," Lorna said. She then turned around and continued walking up the stairs.

Winona scoffed and reluctantly followed after her. Once they reached the top, Winona noticed a large hole in the floor. "Be mindful of that. Wouldn't want you falling through it," Lorna said, not sparing Winona a glance.

The two continued down some hallways until they reached a door. Lorna gripped the doorknob and twisted it, pushing the door open. She moved out of the way and allowed Winona to enter the room first. It was a fairly medium sized room. There were two beds on either side of the room.

"Whenever we get another refugee, and if you're still here, you'll have to share. You okay with that?" Lorna said. Winona nodded her head, eyes scanning the room. "Good, because I didn't care if you weren't," Lorna said bluntly. Winona turned to look at the girl who stood in the doorway. "Are you always so hostile?" Winona asked.

Lorna chuckled, "I could ask you the same thing." This statement caused Winona to scoff. "I am not hostile," she denied. "Your actions back at that abandoned building said otherwise," Lorna replied. Winona rolled her eyes and set her backpack on one of the beds. "You're also violent," Lorna added.

"And how am I violent?" Winona questioned. "You threw a wine bottle at my boyfriend's head," Lorna answered with a laugh. "Well your boyfriend scared the shit out of me. He could've been with Sentinel Services for all I knew," Winona defended. "Not dressed like that," Lorna replied. An involuntary smile made its way onto Winona's face and Lorna smiled as well.

"Well, I'll let you get some sleep. You should probably take a shower first though. You smell like you've been in a dumpster," Lorna said. "I kinda have," Winona said. Lorna's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I'd rather not talk about it," Winona said. The other girl nodded. "Grab some clothes. I'll show you to the showers," Lorna said.

Winona nodded and began unzipping her backpack. She pulled out a tank top and a pair of yoga pants. She then followed Lorna out of the door. "So what was this place before you guys took it over?" Winona asked in an attempt to make small talk. "It was a bank once upon a time," Lorna answered.

"So how are there showers in here?" Winona asked. "Renovations obviously had to be done in order for this place to be liveable," the girl replied. "Well, I love what you've done with the place," Winona said. Lorna smirked as the two came to a closed door. Lorna knocked on the door and listened for a reply. When she heard none she opened the door.

"This is one of the bathrooms. There's a clean towel on the rack and soap in the cabinets beneath the sink. Don't take too long," Lorna said. Winona nodded, "Thanks." The other girl nodded and walked toward the exit. "Oh and when you're done, come find me. I'll get your old clothes washed," Lorna said before walking out of the door and closing it behind her.

····

After taking a shower and finding Lorna, Winona managed to find her way back to her room. She was just about to get into bed when a knock sounded on the door. "Uh, come in," she said.

The door opened and John entered the room. "Oh, were you about to go to bed?" He asked after taking in her appearance. "Yeah. Did you need something?" She answered, taking a seat on the bed. "I just wanted to go over some of the rules of The Underground. But, we could always do that tomorrow," he said.

Winona groaned, "There are rules?" John nodded, "Yes, there are. But they're nothing too crazy or strict." Winona scoffed. "For some reason, I don't believe you," she said. She then yawned. "Why do I need to know the rules if I'm not gonna be here for that long?" She asked him. His eyebrows furrowed. A tiny smile made its way onto her face at the action. "Who told you that?" He asked. "Lorna. She said that new refugees are only here for a few days before they're shipped off to wherever," Winona responded.

"Yeah but, they don't always leave," he said. "And if you want to stay, then you can," he added as an afterthought. Winona nodded her head and smiled. "But if you choose to stay, you'll need to know the rules," John said. Winona yawned again. "Right well then, we should probably discuss the rules tomorrow. And then we can talk about my sister," she said.

John nodded in confirmation. "Good. Well, 'night," Winona said. "Good night, Winona," John replied. He turned off the light and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Winona crawled under the blankets and pulled them up to her chin. She easily fell asleep.

°°°°

Chapter two has arrived. She met the gang and now things are gonna start happening. Also if you're confused, Renee (and her husband Edward) is a character that I added to the cast a little while after I published the cast and playlist. And I recently just added another character Dominic, who's Renee's half brother, as well as changed the face claim of Winona's adoptive father, Warren. They all have a part in Winona's recent history so there will be flashbacks and such. I also don't know if the number I used is an actual number, I just made it up. And I'm not sure how burner phones work so I don't know if what I wrote is right. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Do not comment for me to update, ask me to update, say "please update", or anything along those lines. The fact that I have to write this is ridiculous. Bye.