Chapter 3: Kitty Pryde for the first time

It was cold. And dark. He could feel the chilling metal pressed against his skin as he lay there on the steel table like a dead 'thing' ready to be studied and dissected and prodded as if he were an inanimate object. How could his father do this to him? How could he?

The young man slowly opened his eyes, and once again found himself squinting in discomfort at the blinding light that hovered above him. It was the only light in the room. And even that light had no warmth. Warmth --- It was almost a non-existent sensation to him.

He could hear them moving now...They were once again preparing themselves for today's 'activities'. They surrounded him...His father and his father's cohorts, his soldiers and scientists. There they were again, like they've been ever since he could start remembering...Talking about their sciences and their math and their equations and their biological theories...And all of them were directed at him --- the science experiment...The 'son' that never truly was.

When would it ever end? Would this ever stop? He once heard them talk about his brother. They called him Mutant 143. How come he had never met him? Why had they never been introduced? Was his brother older than him? More so, how old was he? He didn't even know his birthday.

The smell of chemicals mixed in the air and entered his nostrils. Oh how he hated that smell. That smell always meant the pain was coming. It meant that they were about to begin hurting him again. Pain had almost become second nature to him. Primarily because he had no choice.

He glanced sideways and saw one of the 'doctors' pull out a syringe. It was one of the big ones.

He hated needles. But he had to endure them everyday.

He suddenly felt his father's hand on his forearm. Like the room, his father's touch was cold --- uncaring, almost as if it was death itself. Didn't his father love him? Did he mean nothing to him?

Then he heard his voice...That deep, rough, chilling voice that he had almost equated to pain as much as the chemical stench in the air. "Do you think it would work this time, doctor?" Stryker asked.

"We'll see." Responded the doctor. He brought the syringe up and directed it at the young man on the steel table. "The last time we tried it, he convulsed. If it happens again this time I'm afraid we'll have to try a different solution, William."

"Hmm. Very well, then." Replied Stryker. "But this time, up the dosage. We all know the reason why he's here. We might as well see how much he can take."

In the dark, the young man could see the doctor looking rather distraught.

"If you say so." Replied the doctor in the shadows. "But I'm telling you, William, if things go wrong, I don't know if we could ever have another one. We are lucky enough to have him here with us for as long as we have. If things go wrong and he dies..."

Were they talking about him? What other one?

"He's not going to die!" Shouted Stryker.

He suddenly felt his father's grip tighten around his forearm.

"I know him more than any one of you do! You know that!" He said firmly.

Then he felt his father's hand slip away.

"Begin the test." Stryker said...His voice was cold and monotonous.

The boy wanted to speak his father's name...Call out to him. William...That was what the doctors called him...And that was how he got to learn his father's name ever since. As for himself...He was never given a name. Not even a number to call by. It was almost as if he never existed.

He saw his father disappear into the shadows. And the doctors moved in on him once again. They moved slowly, like predators, with syringes and other instruments in their hands. They were going to pierce and cut and mutilate him again...Get under his skin for the sake of 'science'.

He felt tears swelling up in his eyes. And they tricked down his cheeks. But no one seemed to matter. No one cared. Not even his father.

And now the pain...It came once again...The pain that would never end.

Though he could not speak...Deep inside, he screamed.

x x x x x x x x x x

It was a fact that no one could ever deny. Jean Grey was dead.

It was almost two weeks since she had left them, and yet it felt as if she was taken from them the day before each and every day, like 'yesterday' was always the day she died. The mansion had been quiet ever since...Almost as if some of its spirit had washed away with her in Alkali Lake.

Still, the inhabitants of the mansion were grateful that everything had been peaceful since the Stryker incident. And it was the peace that they needed. They needed time to reflect and recollect. To rebuild and gain everything that had been destroyed and lost.

It was the time for a new beginning, for them, and for someone who was about to join them.

x x x x x x x x x x

Kitty Pryde had spent the past few week wandering around the mansion, trying to help out as much as she could if it were possible. There would be days when she would assist Piotr, or just simply hang-out with the rest of the kids. At times she would be with Ororo, studying, or with Bobby and Rogue in the front yard, playing games and other silly things...Anything to past the time and move on.

But today, she decided to tour the infirmary alone, hoping to find something 'interesting'.

Everything was quiet. Everything was as it was...Until she heard someone scream.

Her head perked up and her eyes shot wide open. She quickly looked around, hoping to find the source of the voice. She could feel her heart beating in her chest now. Was someone there? Either way, she swore she heard it come from one of the rooms. It was odd though. She was sure all of the recovery rooms were empty. And she hadn't heard news of anyone being brought there recently.

Still, she wasted no time. She trusted her instincts and went through wall after wall to look for the person who screamed. Until she found him.

She soon found herself phasing into a room with a boy in it...No...He wasn't a boy...He was a young man – give or take a year or two older than her.

He was on the bed, trembling and shivering as if he was laying on a sheet of ice. His eyes were wide open but he could not seem to see her. He was staring straight at the ceiling, dark blue eyes filled with fear, as if was staring at hell itself. She could see him bearing his teeth as he ground them against each other. His skin was pale, and his lips were of faint red. His dark brown hair clung to his forehead as he sweat profusely. His hands were balled into tight fists while he continued to convulse. And she could see his bare chest quickly rise and fall as short quick breaths escaped from his gritted teeth.

He looked sick, and in pain...Almost as if he was going through some kind of torture she could not see.

Kitty gasped at the sight of him, and felt a pierce in her heart at the view of his suffering. "Oh god..." She whispered to herself.

She immediately phased out of the room in search for Ororo. She was the first thing she had in mind. She knew she could help him. In less than a few seconds, she found her with the professor in the den, and immediately informed them of the boy she had found.

Ororo rushed to the infirmary, and Kitty quickly phased her way back into the boy's room, reaching it before Ororo. And there was the boy, still locked and bound within his own mental state of torture.

If only she had the ability to ease his suffering. If only she knew what to do. So she quietly approached him, until she found herself standing right beside his bed. Could he really not see her?

"Hello?" She softly asked. She felt stupid...But it was better than nothing. She couldn't just stand there and stare at his suffering while she was waiting for Ororo.

Then she swallowed in nervousness, and gently placed her hand on his forearm. Perhaps if she let him know she was there...

As soon as her skin came in contact with his, the boy's other hand suddenly gripped hers, pressing it hard against his arm. It almost hurt, the way he was gripping her hand. Then he rigidly sat up and stared at her, eyes swelling with tears, lips shivering in fear.

"Save me." He whispered. He continued to grip her hand...Not letting it go. "Help me!" He shouted. "Help me! Save me from him! I can't take it anymore!" He shouted again, louder this time, in a way that was forceful and commanding, just like his father's...Too much like his father's.

Kitty just stood there, staring back at him in shock. She looked like she had lost the ability to speak, or move, or breathe. She was scared. Scared of him...Scared of what was happening. What did he want from her? What did he want her to save him from? She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn't let her go. She could not even phase away from him? How was he doing it?

The door to the room slid open and Ororo saw what was happening. But before she could make a move, the boy saw her. He stared at her, and the intensity and fierceness in his eyes were suddenly gone, almost as if he had been snapped out of his rage. He blinked a few times, and stared back at Kitty, whose hand was still under his.

His dark blue eyes locked with hers, but he never said a word. He slowly moved his hand away, and blinked again. There was dizziness in his eyes now. He could barely keep his eyes open. He could not even keep himself up. He looked weak now. Weak, but not in pain. He softly exhaled, and looked at Kitty for the last time, until he collapsed on the bed again...Unconscious and still as a rock.

x x x x x x x x x

To be continued...