Chapter 8
Next day
Kitty walked over to her mutant ethics class just a little further down the hallway and looked outside the window. Maddox had already finished his patrol duty and was heading to his mutant ethics class as well. She smiled at the thought of joining him in the same class and continued walking. Somehow Maddox was starting to grow on her and it was a pleasant feeling. She felt comfortable around him even if he said little, but then again he didn't have to.
Settling down in the classroom, Maddox came into the classroom and flashed a small smile at her. The class went on as usual, except for the fact that Kitty kept on glancing towards Maddox. There was something about him that drew her to him, making her want to know him more. As soon as the class ended, Maddox waited outside for her, but as she reached the door. A hand grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from proceeding.
Kitty turned back to see Bobby, his dazzling blue eyes searing into her own and making her heartbeat erratic.
Bobby :"Can we talk?"
Kitty wanted to say no and looked to Maddox, but he simply bowed slightly and left. That left Kitty no choice and she simply nodded her head.
Bobby brought her to a room where Piotr and Rogue were in and locked the door behind them to prevent any eavesdropping.
Bobby: "Kitty. We're very sorry about what happened and we never meant for it to happen. We should have been more careful."
Kitty: "Bobby, its ok. I know and I'm fine, really so don't worry about me."
Bobby: "Then can we be the way we were before? Because we really miss you."
Kitty stared at Bobby. Her feelings for him were as yet unresolved and she frankly didn't know if she should spend time with them. Yet she didn't feel as much pain as she did before. She didn't know why though. Perhaps that incident in the dream which revealed her feelings for him set her free from hiding it deep within herself, or maybe because she was starting to like Maddox?
Kitty mentally slapped herself at the last thought. She barely even knew him and it was doubtful Maddox liked her. Then again, he seemed to be interested in her in a very unusual way. Could it be? She mentally slapped herself again. She was thinking too much. Then a voice woke her from her reverie.
Bobby: "Kitty?"
Piotr: "Sometimes the best way to solve a problem like this is to take it head-on."
Kitty kept silent as she raced through her options, leaving a tense silence in the air. She still loved Bobby, but it didn't feel as painful as before. The incident yesterday did bring her pain, but it didn't hurt as much before now that she thought about it. She looked at Piotr as she thought about what he said. Was he really right? Was it worth a try?
Kitty: "Alright."
The three visibly relieved friends hugged Kitty and she hugged them back. It was definitely good to back among friends.
Rogue: "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."
The three proceeded to drag a stunned Kitty out of the room, but Kitty resisted.
Kitty:" Wait! I can't. I have to meet Maddox."
Bobby: "You're not going to escape with that excuse again Kitty. We'll join the two of you."
Kitty let out a groan as she allowed the three to drag her out of the room in defeat.
At a table, Maddox silently ate his food as he looked over his notes once more. He had one essay to write so he decided to he would revise as he ate. Just then, several students including Kitty joined him.
Kitty: "Sorry about the extra company. They wanted to meet you."
Maddox scanned the people sitting with him. There was the iceman Bobby Drake, the steel man and an unknown mutant with white streaks of hair on either side of her head.
Bobby: "You already know me. This is my girlfriend Rogue and that's Piotr."
Maddox greeted each in turn and introduced himself. The group started some small talk but just then a female student called out Kitty, starting a repeat of the incident the other day. This time Kitty retaliated.
Kitty: "At least I don't bitch about other people's business."
The girl stood up to walk to her but to everyone's shock, she collapsed unconscious onto the couch she was sitting on. Her friend beside her tried to wake her up but to no avail. It took Kitty a few seconds what had happened before she whipped her head towards Maddox, who had laid his head on the table fast asleep.
Kitty :"Oh no…."
Bobby and Piotr followed Kitty's gaze and groaned, knowing full well what was happening. Nobody could save that girl now.
The girl stood around confused. One second she had been in the dining room with lots of people and that tomboy brat Kitty Pryde, the next she was in a desolate room. She glanced around again and stopped. Someone was on the chair in front of her, which was empty before. The individual at the seat facing away from her had long hair and was wearing a white hospital gown.
Girl :"Hello?"
The figure didn't answer or move.
"Hello?", inquired the girl once more in a somewhat shaky voice. This time the person in the chair turned his head around to face her. Except that only his head moved, turning 180o without twisting his body so that his head was facing the wrong way in relation to where his body was facing. The girl screamed and fell down on the floor.
Maddox stood up from his chair, his head still facing the wrong way as his impassive and pale face stared at her. The girl stepped backwards but tripped and landed on the ground. As she scrambled backwards towards the door, Maddox turned his boy as he moved towards her, his body now facing the same way as his head and hands outstretched towards her.
The girl wrestled with the doorknob, trying to get the door open but it wouldn't budge. Then Maddox was on her. He slammed is dead cold hands onto her shoulders and spun her around before choking her. The girl struggled but was no match for Maddox and found herself blacking out. Then everything was bright again. She looked around to find herself in the room with everyone else like before. Snapping her gaze towards Maddox, she found him at the table facing away from her just like she remembered and walked towards him angrily. How dare he do that to her! How dare he wake that butch's side. As she reached Maddox and grabbed his shoulder, Maddox's head turned 180o again and she screamed.
She woke up screaming, startling the people around her. Getting away from the couch, she turned towards Kitty's table to see Maddox staring at her quizzically as though she had lost her mind. Before anyone could say anything, the girl ran out crying.
The baffled crowd looked back to Kitty's table before returning to their business, any thought badgering Kitty further abandoned in light of the strange event.
The four friends looked back at Maddox who simply drank his tea in a calm manner as though nothing had happened.
Rogue :"Errrm. What just happened?"
Bobby whispered into her ear and her eyes went wide.
Maddox: "I have to go. I'll see you all later."
"Maddox! Wait!", shouted Kitty but he just left without acknowledging her.
All was silent at the table before someone started laughing. Kitty, Bobby and Rogue turned towards Rogue who was giggling like a little schoolgirl.
Kitty: "What?"
Rogue: "He likes you."
Kitty: "He does not!"
Rogue :"Yes he does!"
Kitty :"Prove it."
Rogue: "Well…. He's so defensive about you. He did just scare the crap out of that girl for picking on you."
Kitty: "He's defending me because we're friends."
Rogue: "Ohh Kitty, if only you knew. The minute he introduced me he was looking at you not so discreetly to see your reaction, and when that girl started picking on you, his eyes were practically shooting lasers. That kid is waaaaay into you Kitty."
Kitty: "He is not. We're just good friends. That's all!"
This time Bobby joined in the fun.
Bobby: "Oh ho! Defensive over your new little friend! Is there something else between you two?"
Kitty :"What?! No Bobby! You people are ridiculous!"
"So you do like him.", replied Rogue slyly.
Kitty :"I do not like him."
Bobby: "Or maybe…. You just don't know it yet."
Kitty rolled his eyes and looked over at Piotr, who didn't seem interested in the conversation.
Kitty :"Piotr?"
No reply. His gaze was far off at a distant part of the room, which didn't appear to be anything special other than the fact that some students had just sat there.
The other three were baffled by his behaviour, it was so un-Piotr. Just then, one of the students stood up and started walking towards the pantry. Kitty watched Piotr's gaze follow the female student to the pantry and she grinned.
Kitty: "Clarice?! You like Clarice?!"
That slapped Piotr out of his daydream and he quickly covered her mouth as several nearby students looked at them.
Bobby :"Oh boy. Not another one!"
Rogue :"Piotr? You've got some explaining to do."
Piotr looked down red faced as his three friends menacingly stared at him, waiting for an answer.
Kitty: "Piotr? Spill."
Piotr: "I….like Clarice."
Rogue :"Since when?"
Piotr shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but the three were unrelenting.
Kitty: "Come on Piotr."
Pitor :" Since the recruitment trials one month ago in the danger room. "
The other three started laughing so hard as the embarrassed Russian covered his face with his palms. There had been a recruitment drive for more X-men members just a month ago, with Piotr taking charge as the group leader of Blink's or Clarice's group. After an incident where Piotr had saved Clarice from a falling car, he had found himself unable to speak anything coherent when she checked on him to make sure he was fine. Everyone had attributed it to being hit hard by that car but they now knew the true reason.
Clarice reappeared out of the pantry and once again Piotr's gaze was drawn to her.
"Don't BLINK or she may just disappear out of sight", teased Bobby.
Piotr once again looked down in embarrassment as the other three roared in laughter at Bobby's jab.
He would never hear the end of it.
Maddox kept up brisk walk as he checked his watch once again. 5:45PM. It was almost time for him to be at the gate. He checked his Sig Sauer P226 pistol again, making sure it was loaded before returning it to his concealed holster under his shirt.
At least Kitty was happy again, being a little more carefree around her friends. For that he was happy. For some reason he really did not like seeing her upset and grew really defensive of her. When that girl called out Kitty, he was extremely unhappy and had terrified her in the dream to chase her away.
She was extremely cute, he had to admit and that was appealing to him in addition to her tough yet sweet character. Reaching the guard post at the gate, Maddox stood at attention as he waited for the cars to start coming in to pick up their children from school.
That night as Kitty lay on her bed, Rogue's words kept on ringing in her mind.
He likes you. He's so defensive about you. He did just scare the crap out of that girl for picking on you.
Kitty sighed as she rubbed her face in frustration. She still had feelings for Bobby and now Rogue had just thrown a potential spanner into the problem. What if Maddox really did like her.
Oh ho! Defensive over your new little friend! Is there something else between you two? So you do like him. Or maybe…. You just don't know it yet.
Kitty let out a sigh of frustration as those words rushed into her mind. Now she was very confused. Did she still love bobby? What about Maddox? He was growing on her but was she really falling for him?
With these questions unanswered, Kitty Pryde fell asleep.
It was 10:20PM, and Maddox was making his final rounds to ensure that everyone was headed back to their rooms. Those who were still remaining along the corridors and rooms, he gave gentle reminders that they should be back in their rooms by 10:30PM and that they would be reported if they were caught outside their room by that time. The lights would automatically be turned off at exactly 10:30PM, so Maddox had his flashlight in his hand. At last the lights went out and Maddox turned on his flashlight, beginning one final round to ensure that everyone was back in their rooms. As he walked through the darkened hallways, his thoughts once again turned to the petite Kitty Pryde. Maddox had long forgotten what love was when he was abducted some years back and turned into the monstrosity that he was now. But whenever he stared at Kitty, he found himself continually drawn to her as the days went by.
Maddox never said anything much to her about it as he was afraid that he might just chase her away. They just got to know each other although the circumstances were extraordinary and they seemed to know or understand each other in ways as though they had known each other for a long time. Was it really possible to like someone so soon? Then again they didn't exactly meet like normal people usually did.
Should he go for it? What about her feelings for Bobby Drake? Maddox decided that he would gauge her reactions first before trying anything openly.
Over the next few months, Maddox managed to integrate himself among Kitty's group of friends. He and Kitty had grown inseparable over time, always by one another's side whenever they had free time. Bobby and Rogue had continually been teasing the two behind Maddox's back about the obvious attraction between the two. Kitty had scoffed at them each and every time but secretly she was starting to feel more for him, though she was unsure of his feelings for her.
They were now outside the school building and yes, they were at it again.
"Come on Kitty... Its way too obvious he likes you!", badgered Bobby.
Kitty rolled her eyes. She was kind of confused, she still had feelings for the man right in front of her but at the same time, there was something different in the way she felt for Maddox compared to her other friends.
Kitty: "You're just delusional Bobby."
Rogue: "Says the delusional one."
A brief silence followed until Bobby caught Piotr staring at the red-haired beauty that was Clarice Fergusson.
Piotr noticed Bobby looking at him and immediately turned his attention to his drink, causing everyone to laugh.
Kitty: "No seriously. If you like her, go tell her!"
Piotr just looked down red-faced.
Kitty:" What's wrong?"
"Its not as if she's going to like a dumb Russian like me. I'm not smart. All I have are these muscles which aren't much.", replied Piotr sadly.
Rogue: "Oh come on Piotr. You can't possibly be holding back because you think you're dumb."
Bobby: "I'm sure she'll like you."
Kitty: "You are a caring and nice guy and I'm sure she'll like you. You're not dumb."
Piotr didn't answer but just continued to drink from his soft drink can. It was clear his confidence wasn't that high right now and the others knew the best thing to do now was to drop the subject.
After their little gathering, Bobby and Rogue were walking down the hallway when Bobby suddenly dragged her to his room. Locking the door behind him, Bobby and Rogue started a furious make-out session. It was good to be able to touch each other like normal people, not that Bobby really minded her powers. It was what drew him to her.
As they kissed, Bobby suddenly felt a strange and familiar feeling snake its way from her mouth to his cheeks. It was uncomfortable at first but then it flared painfully. Bobby pulled away and collapsed on the floor, out of breath.
Rouge: "Bobby! What's wrong?"
Bobby looked at her and it was then Rogue knew. Her powers were back. The Worthington Laboratories mutant cure had failed. She was too powerful for it to completely erase her powers.
Bobby: "I think we need to see the Professor about this."
A/N: Are Kitty and Maddox just friends or are they headed for something more? Rogue has got her powers back but is that going to strain her relationship with Bobby? Plus what will Kitty's reaction be when she finds out Rogue's powers are back? Will she continue to place the happiness of her friends first or will this new development entice her to fight for Bobby?
