Episode 2: The X-Impulse
"Give it back!" Kurt in full blue elf form chased after Tod who was waving Kurt's Image Inducer as he ran down the hall.
"Yo it's mine now bro!" nearly bumping into Scott.
"Hey! Watch it Tod! Kurt!"
Tod turns around a corner slipping on the Image Inducer to take Kurt's human form, with a sigh he looks over himself, "Awe!"
With a puff Kurt appears behind him snatching it back, "Ha got it!"
It is night, stormy, a young girl tosses in bed dreaming about flying around skyscrapers until she suddenly falls, accelerating toward the ground, screaming as the ground rushes up on her.
As she hits the ground, she starts awake, lying on her basement floor, her parents come running downstairs to find her crying.
"What happened? Were you sleepwalking?" Her father tries his best to comfort her.
"No! I fell... I just... I fell through the ceiling!"
A red alert signal blares from Cerebro alerting Xavier, "Discovery - Mutant signature. The second detection in this vicinity. Extrapolation complete. Identity confirmed. Name: Kitty Pryde. Residence: Northbrook. Age: 15."
"Now dear, I'm sure you were just having a nightmare." Kitty's mother says calming.
But as her father looks up they see the blankets coming down partially through the floor, "I... don't think so."
"W-What am I? W-What's happening to me?"
Setting Cerebro upon his head Xavier calls the team, 'Prep the blackbird.'
Bayville High where Kurt is running to school, "Ach! Late again." looking around he quickly teleports to a place closer to school. Coming around the corner, he runs into Ms. Darkholme.
"Miss Darkholme!"
"Hmm..." she says grabbing Kurt's Image Inducer Watch, "Watch isn't slow. Must be you. Another tardy Mr. Wagner, and I'm enrolling you in my after-school group."
Scott emerges outside a moment later, "Hey, light a fire under it kid. Your teacher sent me to look for you. Miss Darkholme. Stopped off for another breakfast burger at Gut Bomb, didn't you?" Scott says ushering Kurt inside.
"What can I say?" Kurt jokes, "It's an addiction."
At Kitty's house she is trying to sneak out the front door, book bag over one shoulder.
"Dear... I though we agreed that we you were staying home today?" Her mother says catching her.
"Yeah, well, like, what's the point, you know? You guys don't want to talk about it. And I'll like totally go crazy sitting around here."
"But should you really be at school?"
"Kitty! Where are you?" her father calls from the next room.
"Please, mom. Dad'll make me stay." her voice low.
"Alright, go on."
The X-Jet in mid-flight, Jean and Xavier on board.
"Well, why just me? Why not all of us?"
"Because, you're the one who can connect with this girl."
"Ach, I hope so. But how are we handling the other kid Cerebro spied out, the one in the foster home?"
"Yes, Lance Alvers. Let me worry about that. I'd like you to just keep your focus on Kitty's parents. Remember, you're a model of what we're offering them. No pressure."
"Heh, heh, heh... And to think, I passed up a nice relaxing midterm for this."
At Kitty's front porch Jean and Xavier arrive, talking with her parents, "What are you talking about? How do you know Kitty?"
"Please, may we come in for a moment? We'll answer all your questions and anything you need -" Jean explains but is cut off by the father.
"Excuse me miss, you can talk to us, out here."
"Very well. I think you know Kitty is going through a very unique transition. We simply want to help her through it. Why don't you tell us about last night?" Xavier tries to smooth things over.
"Last night is none of you're business. Please, just leave us alone." Kitty's father says slamming the door on Xavier and Jean's faces.
"Huh, next time, let's just call and get hung up on. Less hassle." Jean grouses.
"You'll need to make contact with Kitty directly, at her school."
Back to Xaiver's Logan is washing the motorcycle when he pauses and looks up and sniffs the air. Nearby his stalker rides into town on his own bike, Logan collecting his uniform and gearing up, "Sabertooth."
Sabertooth, the stalker likewise growls, "Wolverine." as Logan peels out.
"What's up with Logan?" Kurt wonders as he stands around with Scott and Tod.
"Whoa. That man is packing some serious attitude." Scott muses.
"Road trip?" Tod suggests with a smirk.
"Let's go!" Scott smiles, leading the trio into the garage.
"Should we take the x-van?" Kurt says pointing to the black armored van.
"Uh, a lower profile, I think. And cooler, besides." Scott smirks as he hops into a red convertible. "You coming?"
Kurt teleports into the car am Tod leaps in, "Hit it."
The trio peeling out after Wolverine.
Back to Kitty's school, the hallway is busy hallway as students hustle between classes and the bell rings as Kitty opens her locker.
"Riley, Check the Kitty-pity-party."
"Dreading PE no doubt. Probably the only class she's not acing."
"Let's, uh, give her some time off, hmm?"
The two girls walk by Kitty, pushing her into her locker, who shouts in shock, "Ahh!"
"World closin' in on ya, Kitty?"
They duo running off laughing as Kitty bangs on the door, "Hey! Let me out you jerks! Uuh! Open the door! Somebody open this door!"
A guy enters the hallway shaking a can of spray paint. He walks down the hallway spraying a stripe along the lockers and whistling.
"Huh? Hey! Who's out there? Can you hear me? Let me out!" Kitty continues to protest as she phases through the locker and crashes into him. "Ahh!"
The boy now sporting a nice red stripe across his face smiles, "Hey. You see what you just did?"
"What I...uh... I like just fell out."
"Yeah man, right through the door. That is so cool!" he says motioning to the still closed lockers.
"You're crazy." Kitty protests as she tries to run but he grabs her arm.
"No, no. Wait a minute. I'm the one guy around here who gets the beauty of it. 'Cause you're just like me. Really."
Kitty stares at him.
"All right then, check this."
He holds out his hands and concentrates, eyes rolling back as he groans, the area starting to shake, "Gettin' the picture?"
"No, you're just like some freak! Leave me alone!" Kitty protests as she flees.
"You can run but you can't hide. Cause I'm gonna rock your world!"
Shortly outside on the sports field. The two girls are doing stretches, Riley the first to notice Kitty's arrive in her sweats. "And a one, two... Hey, Amy, check who got out."
The Coach blows his whistle, "Pryde, you're late."
"Sorry, Coach. I was, like, um, having trouble with my locker." she says glaring at the girls.
"Alright, you three over to the long jump. Pryde, you're tardy, so you're first."
The guy from before now on the roof wit ha couple friends.
"Shut up with the clodding around." one of the friend's states.
"Stow it Griff. Can we bust in through here or not." looking over at the doors to the administration building below.
"Not. It's wired in through the alarm system."
"Now what, Alvers? We got no way into this stinkin' office and midterms start in the morning."
"Yeah, and exam answers ain't exactly gonna fetch a prime price after the test. Can't you just, you know, make a door?"
"Sure, and have them know we were in? They'll change the tests! I got a sweeter idea." Alvers smirks looking over at Kitty, "Her," and points.
"What? What are you gonna have her long jump through the wall? Come on, get serious." Griff grouses.
"You riding me, Griff? Huh? Are ya?" Alvers giving the place a small shake.
"Sorry man, I - I was just..."
"Whoa, whoa... it's cool Lance..."
"You two losers just line up the customers. I'll snatch the answers."
Back at the Long Jump pit Kitty makes her jumo making good distance but falls on her face, "Uhh... Oof..."
"Reow... Kitty-Kat's got a temper." Amy taunts.
"Take notes, Pryde. This is how athletes do it."
Riley runs and tries to jump only for Alvers to causes a mini-earthquake and nails her with a sand spout mid jump.
"Huh?" Kitty muses before noting Lance waving from the roof of the school. She tries to run away, only to bump into Jean. "Uh!"
Kitty eventually finds her way to the school theater where she kicks a chair and bumps into a table knocking a dish over. When she tries to grab the falling dish and fruits her hands pass right through, freaking her out more, "Whoa!"
Kneeling on the floor Kitty pokes at the bowl making a small echo.
"Kitty? Kitty, are you all right?" Jean says walking up cautiously.
"That rah-rah Riley a friend of yours? Cause, you know, like, I had nothing to do with what happened out there on the sand pit." Kitty says still a little shaken as she reaches for a hanging mask.
"I know, and I'm not Riley's friend."
"You look like you'd be her friend." Kitty says sadly as she holds the mask up in front of her face.
"Kitty, look, there's no need for masks. I know what's going on."
"You, like, don't know anything! Neither does that creepy guy out there!" Kitty says angrily.
"Who? Lance? Forget about him. This is about you. You and your wonderful new gift."
"I don't have any gifts, just a curse."
"Only if you let it be. I'd like to help you understand it. Together we -"
"Look, I don't want any of this." Kitty say stomping her foot in anger, "It's, like, hard enough being normal, you know?"
"Kitty, look, I just want you to watch me for a second. Please?" Jean says calmly as she raises her hand, the mask shakes then pulls from Kitty's hands floating back to the wall.
"Who- How'd you do that?"
"The same way you can pass through walls. Just like you, one morning I woke up and had this power. And trust me," Jean hesitated a long while, "I hated myself too."
Kitty pauses, looking at the haunted look in Jean's eyes, a look even darker then anything she has ever had. "W-What happened?"
Jean takes a seat on the edge of the stage looking down, her voice low, "T-This isn't about me." then her mood slowly raised as she looked to Kitty who sat next to her. "This is about you, Xavier...H...He just wants to help people like...us."
"Piece of advice, Red," Alvers says entering the stage area, "I'm the only friend that girl's gonna need, and I'll be teaching her what's what so you just back yourself off." He offers his hand to Kitty, "Come with me Kitty."
Kitty tenses, "You again!"
"Easy. I won't shake things up, I promise. I, uh, my name's Lance. We should really talk."
"Why can't everyone just, like, leave me alone?" Kitty protests.
"Leave her alone Lance," Jean says narrowing her eyes.
"Hey I thought you were all about helping 'our kind' what makes Kitty so much better then me." Lance says angrily.
Jean rubs her temples reaching out a comforting hand to Kitty, "I want to help both of you, really. But your scaring Kitty."
"He is not!" Kitty protests but is shaking visibly.
"T-Then just let me say my peace then I'm gone," Lace opens, "You feel sick inside every time you think about it, don't you? You want it to go away. But it won't. You're afraid of what might happen. Your parents are clueless, probably ashamed. Being alone doesn't help."
"What, are you, like, reading my mind?"
Jean looks sick.
"No way! It's just that I've been going through it myself. You know, trying to figure it out. But I've learned how to control it. Meet me outside the office in an hour. I'll show you how." Lance says before turning to walk off.
"He's just using you," Jean offers, "You know that right?"
Kitty sighs standing and walking off, "I-I need to, like, think."
As Kitty leaves Jean alone she takes out a cell phone, ringing up the Professor.
"Sounds like Lance could be trouble. If he bonds with Kitty, we may not be able to reach her."
"I agree, and he is reaching her."
"You have to stay with it Jean. I don't want to lose her. Remember, whatever obstacles get in the way, they can be overcome. Xavier out."
Xavier looks down at a flight of stairs with a frown, "Though, some obstacles can be more irritating than others."
Kurt Tod and Scott have followed Logan to a parking garage.
"Got it!" Tod says snatching the Image Inducer from Kurt's wrist as he teleports back into his seat, quickly slipping it on and messing with the dial to change his appearance.
"Ach, I've lost hi-Hey!" Kurt starts before snatching ti back from Tod, "Your going to break it!"
"Hey, hey. Watch the door panel. Their smudge resistant not dent resistant." Scott glowers as the two rough house a bit.
"There," Tod shouts causing a break in the fight as he points up atop the garage where Wolverine stands looking out over the city.
Sabertooth crashes onto the roof a moment later, "Unfinished business, runt."
"Bring in on, pops. Bring it on."
Sabertooth drives at Logan, who dodges to one side, slashing off the front wheel with his claws. The bike careening over the side of the building towards Scott, Tod, and Kurt in the car. Kurt reacts quickly enough to teleports them out just before the bike wrecks the car.
"Oh, my car!"
Sabertooth quickly breaks into a car and hot wires it, driving it up a level toward Logan, "Arrgh!"
Logan is clipped as the car and he falls to the side Sabertooth coming around for another pass, Pinning Logan against a wall, "Ung... Gahh!"
"One shall fall by the other's hand. Our destiny, we can't change it." Sabertooth muses.
"I didn't know you went for that... philosophy mumbo-jumbo."
"Hey hairball! I got your destiny right here." Scott arrives with Tod and Kurt and blasts Sabertooth wit ha optic blast.
"Uuggghh!"
"Raaacckk!" Kurt leaps at Sabertooth and bounces off his chest, "Typical."
"Where you think you're going, Yo." Toad smirks as he trips up Sabertooth with a tongue wrap around his leg.
Sabertooth growls as Wolverine slashes his way free and jump kicks Sabertooth into a elevator, slashing the cables and sending it crashing toward ground level.
Sabertooth growls as it falls, "A taste of things to come, Wolverine."
"Ha! We showed him. We are the X-Men." Kurt says dramatically, putting a arm around Scott and Tod.
Logan growls, storming off, "I don't fight your battles, so don't fight mine."
"He loves us, yo."
Scott smirks, "Oh, yeah, big time."
Outside the administration offices after hours, at Kitty's school Kitty approaching Lance, "How do you take control?"
"By admitting something no one wants to cop to: That we are outsiders. That there is something wrong with us. Hey, don't fret it, embrace it. The way I see it, fate dealt us winning cards, if we play 'em together."
"Nothing's making any sense."
"That's why I'm here, to light your path. And the first step leads us right into that office." Lance points to an administration office.
"Don't do this Kitty," Jean says walking up, "This isn't you."
"Come on Kitty," Lance say takking a firm grip of her shoulders, "Embrace who you are."
Kitty pauses a moment, looking back to Lance, then phases inside the office.
"Heh, heh!" she laughs as she turns around and opens the door, Lance and Jean follow her inside, "Did you see me? Did you?"
"Yeah, wow Kitty, how did it feel?" Lance smiles.
"It was, like, totally unbelievable." Kitty smiles hugging Lance.
"You're making it yours Kitty, once you own it, nothing can own you."
"Is this really what you want Kitty?" Jean protests.
"Are you going to keep talking or lend a hand," Lance glowers.
"I'm here if either of you make the right decision. You can turn back, you can come with me..."
As the three move deeper in Kitty's parents arrive just outside, "Where is she?" her father wonders, "That Jean girl said she was going to be here."
Kitty's mother points to the open doors, "I think she...this isn't like her."
"Come on, let's get out girl back." her father says leading his wife after.
In the office Lance rumanges through desks until he finds the test answers he was looking for, "Heh, heh. Test answers present and accounted for."
"That's what this is about? Cheating?" Kitty says disappointed.
"What did I tell you Kitty," Jean offers looking to Lance, "It's not to late to change."
Lance scowls, "Hey, this crummy school uses these kind of tests to keep us down. No more. We take control." He moves to a computer and sits down, "Now, let's modify some grades. Pryde – P-R-"
"No!" Kitty shouts running to Jean's side as she raises a hand and telekinetically pulls Lance away.
"ENOUGH LANCE!" Jean almost shouts.
"Look, there's no victim here, we're just evening the score."
"This doesn't feel right. I've changed my mind. I wanna go."
"Whoa, Whoa. What are you doing? Come on, Kitty." Lance says reaching for Kitty and grabbing her arm.
"Let go of my daughter!" Kitty father says charging in.
"Far enough, old man. Argh!" Lance says pulling Kitty close as he shakes the place, a bookshelf falling on Kitty's father while Jean is forced to use her powers to prevent a filing cabinet from crushing her.
"No, stop!"
Lance keeps Kitty close, pulling her with him, "They're just gonna confuse you Kitty. We're outta here."
Kitty's mother arrives a moment later as Jean helps free her father, "Kitty, please. We can work this out."
"Let go of me." Kitty demands as the wall collapses.
"We're in control now. We make our own way."
"Aah. Kitty, I pushed you to this, I know. I wanted to pretend that nothing was wrong. I'm not perfect. I'm learning, just like you are."
"Daddy."
"Forget them, come on. I'm bringing this place down."
"You called your gift a curse. If you go with him, I guarantee you it will be."
"Kitty, listen to her!" her mother protests.
"Sweetheart, we love you."
"Time to choose Kitty cat," Lance says shaking things up more, "You come with me or I bring this whole place down."
Tears stream down Kitty face as she nods, the shaking slowing as she follows Lance out, as they are leaving the place shakes again, Kitty phases out of his grip, "You promised!"
"I'm not doing it!"
Before either of them can react the place crumbles around them, Burying Kitty, Lance, Jean, and Kitty's parents.
Professor Xavier's voice beam into Jean's mind 'Jean, your powers, use your powers.'
'I'm trying. It's too much.'
'I'll assist. Keep your mind clear.'
'But Kitty...'
'Keep your mind clear.'
Kitty's Mother looks to the pile of rubble where Kitty and Lance were, "No, K-Kitty..."
"My little girl..."
Later at the school with rescue and fire trucks arrive Jean is sitting with the professor looking tired and haggard, Kitty's parent's look warily at the rubble as a EMT comes over to them.
"We didn't find anyone else in the rubble, I-I'm sorry...maybe they got away somehow?"
Kitty's mother looks dejected, "K-Kitty...where are you."
Some distance away on a hill overlooking it all Lance watches, Kitty is curled up in a ball behind some near bushes, "Their alive Kitty." Lance says sincerely, "L-Look Kitty I'm sorry."
Kitty sighs, she doesn't uncurl but stops shaking, "W-Why did you do it Lance?"
"I didn't, I don't know what happened, sometimes I can't stop them once they get going."
Lance looks way starting to tremble, Kitty stands up slowly wrapping her arms around Lance, "I-Is that why..."
Lance nods, the moment lingering as Kitty hold Lance close, "I-I'm so sorry Lance."
Ms. Darkholme appears from behind the bushes a moment later, "I'd say you've blown your chances at this school, haven't you?"
"And you are..." Kitty says apprehensively.
"Your new advisor. I've made an opening for you at Bayville High. I have much to teach you two..." as she shifts into Mystique, "My young Avalanche, Sprite."
Later at the Pryde home a hooded figure knocks on the door, dropping a note on the steps before running off. A distraught Ms. Pryde opens it and finds the note after a moment.
"Is that Kitty," Mr. Pryde says running to the door as the two read the note.
"I'm alright mom, dad," it opens, "But I have to go away for a while...It's complicated. I was wrong about a lot of things. We were wrong about Lance, and we've been pulled into something way over our heads."
"You always taught me to be a good person, to help people who are hurting, well Lance is hurting, bad, and I think without a friend he ca trust he's going to do something he's going to regret, something I can't just phase him out of."
"I'll keep in touch.
Love, Kitty."
Ms. Pryde wipes tears from her eyes as Mr. Pryde holds her close, "Oh Kitty."
Jean and Xavier return to the X-Mansion with defeated looks, Scott, greets them and Tod and Kurt fight over the Image Inducer.
"Didn't go to well I take it." Scott says comforting.
"We lost Kitty and Lance." Jean says retreating up the stairs to her room.
Scott following, the two vanishing down the hall, "It'll be alright Jean."
Xavier turns to Tod and Kurt as his expression firms up, "What are you doing Wagner, Tolansky?"
"Yo Prof," Tod injects as he grabs the Image Inducer and slips it on his wrist, "I just want to fit in like rat boy but he wont share."
"Come with me Tod," Xavier says firmly. Tod hopping over as Xavier slips the Image Inducer off and tosses it over to Kurt, the two moving off.
"What do you have to hide Tod?"
"Isn't it obvious Professor, no one likes the Toad, I want to make a fresh start yo. How is that any different from blue boy?"
Xavier glances back to see Kurt is gone, "Kurt scares people, or so he thinks. He thinks he's a freak, a monster. He is very...fragile...I know you can relate to that toad."
"Yo you in my head Professor?"
Xavier smirks and shakes his head, "I don't need to read minds to know how teenagers think, I was one once too."
Tod laughs, "Yeah like a million years ago, its tougher now."
Xavier nods, "Maybe it is, maybe not. And I will admit I never knew what it was like to be a outcast. I was like Jean and Scott, part of the popular crowd." Xavier pauses and looks down at his chair, "Even a athlete."
Tod wisely keeps his mouth shut as he looks at the Professor's chair.
"But I made my fair share of mistakes as well. But if this is really what you want Tod you could have just come to me. That is why we are here."
"What are you saying Professor?"
"I'll get you your own Image Inducer Tod. But like with Kurt it is only a crutch, a stepping stone. One day I want both of you to walk out of this school proud of who you are."
Tod smiles, "Thanks Professor."