Looking For A New Connection
Written by Darkstorm5000
Disclaimer: X-Men Evolution, the X-Men, and other related characters in their various incarnations are the property of Marvel Entertainment Group and Film Roman Productions, are used without permission and not for profit.
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Chapter 10- Dancing in the Dark
Bayville, New York
The Xavier Institute-
Friday Night…
"Well, what do you think?"
This was the question now excitedly posed by one Angelica Jones, resident of the Xavier Institute and member of the X-Men's junior-squad code-named Firestar, as she stepped out from behind a folding four-panel screen in her bedroom.
"About what?" Was the response from Laura Logan, who herself also went by the code-name of X-23, and who also happened to be Angelica's roommate, as she lay face-up on her bed on the other side of their shared room.
Laura then opened her eyes to look over at Angelica, while simultaneously pulling off the small pair of earphones that she was wearing, which were connected to her personal pod-player that also lay on the bed beside her.
"My dress, of course. How do I look?" Angelica again asked, as she did a slow 360-degree twirl for Laura's benefit, to fully show off the simple yellow and red lacey-mesh dress that she had just changed into.
"Um…you look like a red-head in a dress." Laura raised an eyebrow and earnestly replied, now having completely sat up on the edge of her bed.
"C'mon, I'm being serious!" Angelica whined with an exasperated huff, wanting her roommate's honest assessment of her attire, "This is the first time I've ever been on a real date with a guy, and I'm not sure if its nice enough?"
"You look fine." Laura now told her dolled-up roommate with a reassuring smirk on her face, which relayed to Angelica that Laura had been playfully teasing her all along, "Bobby's probably gonna choke on an ice-cube or something when he sees you."
"Coming from you, I hope that means something good?" Angelica remarked, and did so with a small grin as well, as some of the anxiety that she had been feeling about her outfit was now starting to diminish.
"Trust me, it does." Laura, who remained all smiles, confirmed for Angelica.
"But, I still don't see why you aren't going? You're not going to have any fun just sitting around here all night by yourself." Angelica now said, which caused any cheerful sentiment remaining on Laura's face to quickly dissipate.
For the last few weeks, while the rest of the female-half of the Institute had been chipper and excited about the semi-formal dance that was fast-approaching, and with Angelica included among them, Laura had managed to keep a pretty level-head over the whole thing.
In, that she had no intention of wasting an entire night by being around the rest of the student body at Bayville High, the majority of whom generally didn't acknowledge her presence anyways, save for her fellow residents from the Institute. Plus, from what Laura had been able to casually gather about this thing over the last few weeks from the other girls' at the Institute, the whole point of going to these dances was to try and meet some mind-blowingly gorgeous guy who'd come up and sweep you off of your feet.
And, that was certainly the last thing that Laura cared about at this point in her life.
"Don't worry, I know how to keep myself entertained." Laura now replied, graciously turning down Angelica's offer. Just, as she had done the last three times this past week when Angelica had brought up the subject.
Laura knew that Angelica's persistence had stemmed from a genuine concern for her, which she appreciated, since Angelica was probably the closest thing to an actual best-friend she had made since arriving at the Institute. But, Laura had also made her mind up, and there wasn't anything that was going to change it.
Sensing this, Angelica told Laura that she would see her later, checked her hair and make-up one last time in the large desk-mirror that sat close to her bed, then grabbed her silk wrap and a small yellow purse and left to head downstairs. All the while, wishing that she could have thought of some way to convince her roommate to come along too.
Meanwhile, Laura laid back down on her bed, putting her earphones back on and cranking the volume on her pod-player all the way up. Downtime like this was an indulgence that Laura had come to appreciate more and more since coming to the Institute, which definitely had not been afforded to her under the watchful eye, and iron fist, of Madame Hydra. And, was a far healthier alternative to the self-mutilative method that Laura had been employing, as a means of releasing the stress and tension that she often felt from within.
Closing her eyes, Laura stretched out and relaxed, allowing herself to zone-out and become totally immersed in the tunes now streaming through her player. Music, which by happenchance, was from an up and coming neo-punk band that she had only just discovered recently, and had quickly become a favorite of hers…
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Sitting near the foyer of the Institute's anterior, Bobby Drake now found himself in a place that was unfamiliar to him. Not referring to his current location or surroundings, however, but it had to do with his present emotional state. As he sat back and patiently waited in one of the antique armchairs close to the mansion's huge cascading staircase, Bobby had been amusing and keeping himself occupied by using his mutant power to create various miniature objects made of solid-ice.
While this was nothing new for Bobby, as this member of the X-Men's senior-squad had gained both notoriety and had also become somewhat notorious for the various ways in which he had found to demonstrate the versatile applications of his powers, the reason for him doing so right now was in and of itself altogether untrodden territory for him.
Watching, as the other residents' Institute had come and gone over the course of the last hour or so, each passing by and telling him that they'd catch up with him later at the dance, Bobby was starting to grow anxious and a bit concerned. Wondering, if perhaps his date for the evening had, ironically enough, gotten cold-feet and was now having second-thoughts about going out with the proverbial class-clown?
But, just as Bobby had started on his fourth ice-sculpture, this time molded in the shape of a flaming-star, he immediately paused when he felt the presence of another individual coming down the stairs to join him.
"Sorry about taking so long. It's just, I wasn't sure about how I looked." Angelica apologetically confessed, as she came around the sharp corner at the bottom of the staircase to see Bobby quietly sitting there while waiting for her.
"Wow, you…look wonderful." Bobby was about all that managed to stumble out, as he shot up from his chair, straightening his tie and the coat of his suit. And in the process, almost dropped the half-finished star sculpture that he was holding in his right-hand, after getting this up-close and unobstructed look at Angelica now.
"Thanks." Angelica smiled and replied to Bobby's observatory comment, as he walked over towards her once he had reaffirmed his grip on this small and frigid object in hand.
Even though it appeared that Bobby had managed to quickly regain his grasp on this personally-sculpted figurine, Angelica decided that she wasn't going to take any further chances tonight.
"What're you doing?" Bobby now asked, as Angelica held her purse in one hand and raised her other hand up, extending it out towards him.
"Oh, just being safety conscious." Angelica humorously answered with a modest giggle, as she used her own mutant powers to melt the jagged frozen-object in Bobby's hand, all the while thinking to herself about the casual prediction that Laura had made to her upstairs.
Meanwhile, Bobby had absolutely no idea what Angelica was talking about. But, he opted to just roll with whatever it was she had meant by her statement, as he walked with her over towards the mansion's huge front doors and they went outside together. Where, Bobby had already taken the liberty of parking his silver SRT-4 on the sizable semi-circular driveway that was sitting just a few yards away.
Bobby hurriedly rushed over to his car, so that he could chivalrously open the passenger-side door for Angelica. And, so that they could at last get this night officially started.
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A little later, after Bobby and Angelica had left along with most everyone else at the Institute having also vacated the premises, Logan was preparing to do much the same himself.
Performing an informal cursory check as he casually walked throughout the Institute's ground and upper-floors, Logan used all of his heightened senses to ensure that everything was in order before ultimately making his own departure.
But, a quick glance at one of the wall-mounted security VDT's located near the mansion's front-door unexpectedly caught his eye, revealing to Logan that the Institute wasn't quite as empty as he had previously thought?
Logan knew that Professor Xavier would be remaining in for the duration of this evening, and that the presence now registering was in a part of the Institute where he was certain the Professor wasn't going to be. Making an about-face, Logan turned around so that he could head down into the Institute's sub-basement.
Mainly, to find out who it was that was currently running an exercise simulation in their almost larger-than-life Danger Room?
Thinking that it was probably Hank or Ororo logging either a solo or joint session-run down there, Logan decided to go ahead and get suited-up himself. He went and put on his black and yellow X-uniform with the intentions of joining in on the fun when he got to the Danger Room, figuring that it would give him a chance to work up a good thirst before heading out. And, that he might be able persuade one, or possibly both of them, into joining him at Harry's Hideaway just outside of town for a few drinks afterwards. But, upon keying in the proper access codes to open the Danger Room's huge steel blast-doors, Logan was greeted by the sight of the only student at the Institute who would even think to attempt a level-10 simulation, unsupervised and all by herself.
It turned out to be the exact same sim that the X-Men's black-team had run for the first time only a few months ago, albeit unsuccessfully their first time through, despite their collective and most formidable abilities.
With that said, for this young lady to attempt such a feat displayed a certain degree of bravery or insanity, or perhaps a combination of the two, on her part? And it was something that Logan couldn't help but, coincidentally enough, relate to.
Sprinting towards a giant Sentinel in this arena-sized facility, which had been holographically remade using lower Manhattan's skyline and distinct neighborhood layouts for its scenic backdrop, Logan watched as X-23 agilely dodged the rapid-fire release coming from the main proto-plasma rifle grafted into this monstrous robot's hand, as well as managing to avoid the heavy projectiles being shot at her from its auxiliary shoulder-mounted guns. Once she got close enough, Laura quickly leapt up onto the robot's leg and used the razor-sharp adamantium claws in her fists and feet to swiftly scurry up along its torso-side. With her extensive knowledge of Colonel Trask's Sentinel program, which she had gleaned from both HYDRA and SHIELD's databases, as well as from information stored in the X-Men's own computer files, Laura immediately went for the Sentinel's jugular, so to speak.
Climbing up onto the construct's back and shoulders, all in a manner intended to keep it off-balance so that she could use her claws to efficiently disable this Mark-I's primary and secondary weapons, Laura feverishly hacked away at very specific areas on it. Quickly, she clawed her way deep down into strategic points below its exo-structure, which was where electronic panels and other critically integrated circuitry that linked together the Sentinel's various guidance control-systems were located. And, within a matter of just a few moments, this lumbering mountain compiled of steel and other assorted polymers stopped all movement, eerily standing there frozen in place.
Right before it toppled forward onto the ground, all in a single thunderous and crashing heap.
"Nice to see you haven't lost a step." Logan smiled and said, as he walked down this holographically reproduced street towards where Laura and the fallen Sentinel currently were, "What, with all the time the Prof's had you loggin' in here with the rest of the junior-team."
"Don't worry. I've still got a lot more left that I can teach you, if you want?" Laura smirked and humorously boasted, as she hopped down off of this cybernetic scrap-heap and walked over towards Logan.
The Danger Room's computer controls then terminated the training sequence and automatically set itself to the task of dematerializing these artificially-enhanced surroundings, all the while as music continued to loudly emanate from its audio speaker-system. Which, was thanks to Laura having plugged her pod-player into the control booth's computer console before she began her session, so that she could get into a wicked groove listening to her favorite new band while she trained.
"Girl, I've forgotten more moves than you'll ever know!" Logan sharply responded to Laura's bravado, as he now stopped his leisurely jaunt down this street and stood just a few feet away from her.
"Well, they do say that memory is the first thing that goes? Especially, when you guys start getting up there in years, that is." Laura looked over at Logan and remarked to him, doing so with a hearty grin.
Which, caused Logan's own smile to briefly disappear, before he closed his eyes and simply shook his head, all with a slight smirk quickly returning to his face.
"Speakin' of moves, shouldn't you already be over at the high school, so you can show yours off to the other kids?" Logan changed subjects and now asked Laura, as he once-again recalled something about there being a dance this evening. Which, many of the younger residents at the Institute had been going on and on about for the last few weeks. All the while as they stood there, Dazzler's retro-cover of Pat Benatar's Invincible played from Laura's pod-player and reverberated throughout the whole of the Danger Room.
But with this inquiry, it was Logan who had now hit a little too close to home for Laura's liking, as her demeanor became noticeably more tense and rigid.
"I didn't want to go." Laura looked down and tersely replied. From which, Logan could immediately sense in her tone that there was something more to it.
"Why not?" Logan bluntly and directly asked her.
"Because, I didn't wanna waste an entire night at some stupid and boring dance." Laura now elaborated, but only just a little bit.
"So, you'd rather spend your time in this boring Danger Room?" Logan asked her, and couldn't believe it himself that those words had actually left his lips, but knew that he was trying to make a more important overall point to Laura, "How do you know it'll be stupid and boring? Tell me, have you ever even been to one before?"
Upon hearing this last round of questioning, Laura didn't even bother to offer a response. But, Logan could see it in her body-language, by the manner in which she now grudgingly folded her arms over in front of her and shifted her shoulders to one side, what the answer to his query was.
"You're not gonna lay-off until I'm decked out in some poofy party-dress, are you?" Laura now turned her gaze back up at Logan to bitingly ask him. Her tepid reaction, in part, due to her knowing exactly where this conversation was heading.
After all, it had only been because of Logan's persistent prodding that Laura had even started socializing with the other residents' of the Institute in the first place, and had wound up getting to know some of them on a more personal level. Which had been a very difficult and intimidating thing for someone, who had been raised her entire life to eschew such trivial and personal interactions, to do.
"You catch on fast. Although, poofy party-dresses don't much seem your style?" Logan smiled and said, having at last gotten through to her, "Then again, I ain't no fashion critic?"
"Fuunnn-eeee…" Laura sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes as she to gave her single-word reply to Logan's last remark, "But it's too late, even if I wanted to go. Everyone's already gone, and the dance's already started."
"Those things go on for a while. If you hurry up and get ready, you'll still get there with plenty of time to make a fashionably-late entrance." Logan encouragingly told Laura.
Meanwhile, Laura stood there silently for a moment, as she appeared to be mulling over this idea that Logan had presented to her.
"Well, I guess I could always hot-wire one of the cars, or the X-Van, out in the garage? I should be able to make it there in just a few--" Laura was thinking aloud, when Logan abruptly interrupted upon hearing these preliminary intentions from her.
"Hold on there, 'Speed'. How's about I just drop you off there instead?" Logan offered her, thinking this to be the less damaging and least costly alternative.
"You don't have to go through all that trouble just for me." Laura said to him.
"Trust me, it's not any trouble. Besides, isn't that what 'big brothers' are for?" Logan smirked and commented to Laura. He was referring to their previously agreed upon cover-story for her, to give to those outside of the Institute to help explain Laura's origins back when she had first come to live permanently in Bayville.
"Oh, really?" Laura asked, in an overtly whimsical manner, with regard to Logan's big brother comment.
"Or, so I hear." Logan replied, having no problem with delivering a reply for her.
But, in spite of all of their sparring banter, both Logan and Laura knew that their bond was one that ran much deeper than that of just being assumed half-siblings. It was one of mentor and student on many levels, and yes, of even father and daughter on a few others. Although, neither had ever actually gone into much detail about it, they both also knew that Logan had been instrumental in easing Laura's transition into this new living environment for her at the Institute. And, in helping her learning to cope with the deep emotional scars of her heinous upbringing at HYDRA's hands, where they had sought to purge their living weapon of her humanity entirely.
It had been Logan's diligence, combined with his own first-hand knowledge and understanding of where Laura had been and of what she had been through, that had helped this young lady come to realize that she wasn't some sort of monster.
That, it was even okay for her to want to try to be a kid again.
As they both now turned to head towards the Danger Room's exit, with Laura rushing off ahead of Logan to hastily pick out an outfit, he himself also decided to take some of his own advice and skipped his workout altogether tonight. But, Logan immediately stopped when the next track from Laura's pod-player cued up on the internal speakers overhead, playing something that was instantly recognizable for him.
"What do you know about listenin' to this?" Logan now queried Laura, as the intro to Street Fighting Man began and he wondered when her growing musical curiosity had managed to stumble back about three or four decades?
"I don't know. Maybe, somebody's 'little sister' snuck into her big brother's room one night, and secretly raided his CD collection when he wasn't looking?" Laura looked back over her shoulder and coyly stated to Logan, before she exited the Danger Room.
Leaving Logan behind with a song that she had picked out of, what she had found to be, an unexpectedly eclectic musical assortment in his possession. Which ranged from the Big-Band Swing era, all the way to the calming and meditative realm of Eastern Chant.
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Thanks to the numerous bright lights and glossy-metallic streamers strung from high above and all around the gymnasium at Bayville High School, a substantial transformation had taken place to create a starkly different ambience and appearance than the one usually seen in there. All, with the intent of making sure that this evening's Prom would be an event to remember.
And for Angelica, it was already turning out to be a night that she was certainly never going to forget. Right as she and Bobby arrived at the dance, they were immediately met by two very familiar faces just inside of a rose-entwined lattice archway, which had been erected near the gym's front-entrance.
"Oh, I love yuir dress! It looks SO great on ye!" Rahne Sinclaire came up and excitedly said to Angelica with a delighted squeal.
Although, much the same could have just as easily been said about the dress that Rahne had chosen for the evening, a form-fitting gown in a lovely cerise color that managed to show off her every curve. And, managed to quickly draw a similar compliment in return from Angelica.
"For a while there, I was starting to think that maybe you two had found somewhere better to be?" Roberto da Costa also cordially came up and said to Bobby and Angelica, as he sported a navy tailor-made blazer suit, with a dress shirt worn underneath in an open-collared fashion.
Meanwhile both Roberto and Rahne, who themselves had been dancing together locked in a tight romantic embrace for most of the evening before they spotted Bobby and Angelica, now somewhat struggled to make themselves heard over Say It Right, as it thumped loudly throughout the entire gymnasium from the DJ's huge speakers up on stage.
"No way, you know I wouldn't miss this." Bobby replied, as he stepped over and casually slapped hands with Roberto, "After all, it's a celebration!"
"You have a point, Bobby. With some of us about to graduate and head off for college soon, 'tis a fine and appropriate reason to celebrate." Rahne came over and said to both guys', while securely wrapping her arms around one of Roberto's in a poignant and personal manner.
Roberto and Bobby couldn't help but exchange innocent glances at one another, all from Rahne's having not caught on to their veiled comedic reference. But, it was a brief mention that, surprisingly, wasn't lost on Angelica.
"Come on. Let's go over and at least say Hi to everyone else, before you guys' start slapping each other around like the two stooges or something." Angelica smirked, as she went and firmly took Bobby by the hand.
Angelica then pulled Bobby along with her, so that they could journey further into the school gymnasium. Rahne saw this and quickly followed Angelica's lead, by grabbing a hold of Roberto as well. This steady couple then trailed just a few steps behind Angelica and Bobby, as they all now went to search for where the rest of the gang from the Institute had gathered inside?
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A short time later, the relatively tranquil scene outside was broken with the belated arrival of a last-minute attendee for tonight's event. This commotion was in large part due to a heavy-duty Evolution bike engine rumbling out there, which had just pulled up right in front of the school's gymnasium and was now sitting there idling loudly.
"Thanks for the ride." Laura said, as she hopped off of the back of Logan's motorcycle and removed her protective helmet, which both she and Logan only wore for legal and purely cosmetic purposes.
"Anytime." Logan replied, as he lifted up the face-visor of his red bike helmet and took the other black half-helmet from Laura, which was usually the one that he had worn as of late, strapping it down onto a small luggage rack mounted onto the bike's rear, "What time you want me to swing back through here and pick you up?"
"Don't bother. I'll get a ride back to the Institute with Bobby or Jubilee, or somebody." Laura told him.
"Alright, then. See ya later kid." Logan said to her, right before he put his face-visor back down and raucously revved-up the engine of his motorcycle again.
In an instant Logan was gone, peeling out and leaving behind only the resonant sounds from his bike's exhaust system in his wake. But, as he headed away from the school and off into the night, Laura hadn't been left out there alone.
After such a blustery trip, Laura went to check her outfit and make sure that the sheer, long-sleeved white blouse, black leather mini, and the pendant choker collar that she was now wearing were all still in place. But, with her hypersensitive hearing always at work, Laura couldn't help but pick up on the relaxed breathing of another presence out here with her. Who, happened to be over in a dimly-lit area close by, and whose scent Laura also couldn't help but recognize.
"So, are they making you serve some of your detention out here too?" Laura sardonically asked, as she looked up to the top of the steps that led to the gym's entrance, which was where this shadowed figure happened to be standing.
An individual, whom she had seen around school a few times. And, who was usually being escorted by a teacher on his way to Principal Hogarth's office for some mischief that he had just been a participant in.
"Nah. I guess the faculty parole-board must've decided to cut me a break, or something, and grant me an early release?" He sarcastically replied, stepping forward out of the shadows and into better lighting.
Although, Laura had been able to see him perfectly this entire time irregardless.
"So, that your old man dropping you off on the Harley?" He now stood with both hands in the front-pockets of his slacks and curiously asked.
"No, my older brother. John." Laura replied, sticking to her cover story, as she walked towards him.
"That guy sure looked old enough to be your Dad?" Was the remark now directed at Laura, with a thinly-veiled hint of skepticism, as she made her way up the small concrete staircase towards him.
"What can I say, our papa was a rolling stone. And apparently a virile one too, especially for someone his age." Laura replied, as she stopped right next to him and looked him right in the eye, hoping to end his line of questioning with this last intentionally provocative and vivid comment.
And, judging by the slightly unnerved reaction that she had managed to elicit, in part thanks to the accompanying visual image that was now stuck in his mind, Laura was confident that she had accomplished her goal.
"Why are you standing out here by yourself anyways?" Laura now, in turn, curiously inquired of him.
"They started playing some lame-ass song in there." He told her, while leaning back against the bricked-wall next to the entrance.
"Yeah...but isn't that the whole point of coming to these things?" Laura questioningly replied, as she shifted her small leather-studded handbag from one hand over into the other.
"Anyways." He rolled his eyes and impatiently continued on, "So, I decided to come out here and get a little fresh air."
"Uh-huh. Well, have fun with that." Laura now shrugged her shoulders and somewhat indifferently gestured towards him, before continuing on into the gymnasium.
Upon crossing the arched-threshold inside, Laura was immediately met at the door by the blaring sound of Pump It now coming at her at a high decibel. But, her arrival was one that was also warmly welcomed by a friend, who now excitedly waved at Laura from over on the other side of the gym.
Angelica had managed to spot Laura the instant she made her surprise appearance, even amongst this rather considerable crowd. And, Angelica was beyond overjoyed at seeing that her roommate had changed her mind about attending tonight after all.
Seeing that Angelica and Bobby were standing over by a section of tables, which was where most of the others' from the Institute had also congregated, Laura decided to go over and join them as well. Making a b-line, Laura went and took a seat at one of these cloth-covered tables too, but it surprisingly wasn't to join her roommate and her date.
"I thought you said you weren't coming tonight?" Laura remarked, as she instead sat down next to another individual, who also happened to be a resident and one of her junior-squad teammates' from the Institute as well.
And in contrast to most everyone else here at the dance, he was garbed in his usual everyday attire. Which, consisted of a non-distinct long black trenchcoat, along with a specially-fabricated black heavy-gauze that was strangely worn wrapped around to cover him from his mouth, down to just below his chest.
"I remember you sayin' much the same thing. And besides, I only said I was thinking about skipping this whole shindig." Jonothan Starsmore replied, speaking to Laura through his telepathically-filtered voice.
"Well, I had assumed that meant you weren't coming?" Laura stated, as she raised an eyebrow at Jono.
"Then, it looks like you assumed wrong, don't it luv?" Jono looked over and bluntly responded to her.
Which, given his tone, would most likely have been accompanied by a cynical smirk from Jono, if not for the physical disfigurements that he had suffered back when his mutant power first emerged.
But following this last exchange, neither Laura nor Jono felt that they had anything further to say to one another and proceeded to just sit there silently, staring out onto the partially crowded dance-floor before them. It was how the pair usually passed their time together, and to some degree, both generally seemed to prefer this more muted state of being.
Especially, when considering how their conversations usually ended, as it had done just now. In the meantime, Angelica and Bobby had gotten up to go over with a few of the other couples so that they could get their prom-photos taken.
Where, Angelica hadn't been able to help herself from casually observing Jubilee and Everett, and just how downright cuddly they been with one another tonight.
Ever since that night out in the garden a few months ago, when Angelica had finally gotten up the nerve to go up and actually say something to Bobby, she had been worried that she was out of her mind, and certainly out of her league, by showing even the faintest hint of being interested in him. Especially, after she had happened to overhear Amara and some of the other longer-term residents teasing Jubilee one day, about how she and Bobby had supposedly had some kind of hot and super-heavy romance secretly going on way back when. This was all before Jubilee's parents had shown back up and yanked her out of the Institute right after it, and Mutants' in general, had first gone public.
But, Angelica had more tellingly noticed that Jubilee hadn't tried to deny any of the other girls' assertions, particularly with regards to the nature of hers and Bobby's relationship back then?
Still, after seeing how close and how affectionate Everett and Jubilee had become as of late, coupled with the fact that it was Bobby who had asked her out to accompany him this evening, Angelica had come to the conclusion that whatever kind of relationship that Bobby and Jubilee may have once shared, now appeared to be of a purely platonic friendship?
While Angelica stood with Bobby and quietly contemplated all of this while they waited for their turn to get their pictures taken, some of her other classmates' seated a few tables over were themselves dealing with drama that was all their own. Which, on top of having to do with the expected relationship issues, coincidentally also had to do with the fact that they too were mutants.
Although, none of the individuals from this particular group shared the distinction of calling the Xavier Institute home. And, were quick to correct anyone who made such a mistaken assumption.
Hailing from The Kinross Academy, their own place of residency now located in Bayville, it was within those walls that they were trained much as their counterparts from The Xavier Institute. Receiving instruction in how to make better use of their mutant abilities, all under the careful tutelage of the Academy's founding Headmistress herself, Dr. Moira Kinross.
Dubbing themselves as The Kinross Fold, and usually just referring to themselves as The Fold for short, her students' had quickly and often found themselves at odds with the X-Men as. Differences, which on occasion, had escalated into all-out brawls between these two super-powered groups of teenagers.
But, not tonight.
No, any bad blood that still remained between the two sides was to be put aside for the duration of this evening. Especially, given the truce that both the X-Men and the Fold had both agreed upon a number of months ago. And, had also given their word that they would abide to Professor Xavier, Doctor Kinross, and to Principal Hogarth, following the considerable damage that they had all caused to the high school following their most recent skirmish.
And it was something that one of their teachers, who had been assigned to chaperone things tonight, also wanted to ensure remained in effect as well.
"Everyone is enjoying themselves, I presume?"
Upon hearing this, each member of The Fold looked up to see Emma Frost now standing there beside their tables. And, with her question delivered to them in a tone relaying that an answer was expected of them, one indeed was quickly offered by one of her students' seated before her.
"Of course, Miss Frost." Christopher Aaronson, who was also known to his peers as Bedlam, replied for the entire group with a guarded smirk as he rocked back slightly in his chair.
Which should've been expected from Chris, since this first student of Dr. Kinross' was pretty much considered by most of his fellow Fold members as their de facto leader and spokesman.
Christopher's attention then turned back from his teacher to the petite French brunette who was seated beside him,
and with whom his hand was noticeably interlaced with upon their table. But another one of his teammates', who had absolutely no problem in speaking for and on her own behalf, now decided to make herself heard.
"That's a lovely outfit, Miss Frost." Monet St. Croix said, offering this complimentary remark to her teacher with what could have been construed as a sarcastic-sounding sentiment to it. Which, may or may not have been her actual intention.
Monet and a couple of the others had earlier this evening pointed out amongst themselves what Miss Frost was wearing, which was an ensemble consisting of a white miniskirt and low-cut blouse of the same color. Both of which, were substantially more revealing than anything they had ever seen Miss Frost in before.
"Monet, your attempt to squeeze additional brownie-points out of me tonight are rather pointless. Especially, since your grade-point average in my class right now, is as perfect as you seem so deludedly fond of self-descriptively boasting about yourself." Miss Frost quipped in return, displaying that she had the ability to give as good as she got.
When, the need arose.
Which, in and of itself was also an unexpected response from this usually stern and serious English teacher. And with seeing such a marked change in Miss Frost's demeanor and her appearance, which also included her not wearing her customary black-rimmed eyeglasses and having let her usually bundled-hair down for this evening, her students' now wondered to themselves what had happened to the 'real' Miss Frost?
As she now moved on, so that she could ensure that the other students' were all also still relatively behaving themselves, Miss Frost couldn't help in overhearing the faint sound of Monet's elbow, as it was thrust into Manuel's side to forcefully silence the jeering cackles that had come at her expense.
But, as Miss Frost now did a visual scan of the entire gymnasium, she couldn't help in noticing something else as well. Mainly, with how the other students' were all seated at the tables that had been set up all around the dance-floor. Miss Frost saw that most everyone, with less than a handful of exceptions, had remained fixed within their own rigid cliques' tonight.
Which, for Bayville High's only openly-mutant teacher, was something that she found particularly disheartening. It had been her hope that a greater level of healing would have begun to take place by now, especially between the mutant and non-mutant communities, in the aftermath of the highly-publicized and emotionally-charged Matthews' trial.
But, it seemed that things had only gotten worse, and more heatedly divisive, in that time since. From, the exodus of a sizable number of non-mutant families, who in the violence that immediately erupted following the trial's verdict, felt that Bayville was no longer a safe place for them and their children. To, the combative rift and almost factional mentality that had sprung up between the Xavier and Kinross students'.
While Miss Frost stood off to one side next to the folded-up bleachers and further contemplated these varied issues, all of the other Prom attendees' were completely oblivious to her current concerns. With The Sweet Escape now pulsating throughout the entire gymnasium, the dance-floor had started to fill back up again. And, would continue to increase in number even moreso, once the following announcement was made to those within.
"Alright, next song is for all you happy couples' out there..."
The DJ then followed his comment by slowing things down a bit with a more laid-back tune.
"Ooh, this is one of my favorites!" Angelica excitedly revealed the instant she heard Too Little, Too Late, as a few of the other couples' seated close by were getting up and making their way out onto the dance-floor.
"Well, I guess we'd better not let a fave go to waste then?" Bobby charmingly remarked, as he stood up and offered his arm to Angelica, "Shall we?"
Which Angelica took without hesitation took ahold of, as Bobby now led the way out onto the dance-floor with her right beside him. Although, they were far from being the last couple to step out there.
Now making their way back from the far side of the gym, which was where the professional photographer had set up shop, Jamie Madrox and Paige Guthrie came and finally rejoined the others on the dancefloor as well, while this slow pop-ballad continued to play on.
Meanwhile, Laura watched as her roommate danced in a closely-unisoned embrace with her date out on this polished hardwood surface, and was happy to see that Angelica was enjoying herself. But at the same time, Laura was wondering why she had allowed herself to get talked into coming here by Logan in the first place? That, she could've certainly had a much better time tonight, if he'd just left her alone back home in the Danger Room.
And, Laura was literally about two seconds away from bolting to go back to the Institute. Or, to at least find someplace else, ANYPLACE else that was other than here, when a now familiar face suddenly reappeared next to the table where she and Jono were seated.
Having watched Laura for a good little while, ever since first bumping into her shortly after her arrival earlier, he had observed that she definitely didn't look like someone who was having much of a good time so far.
"Um, care to dance?" Julian Keller now came over and boldly asked Laura, "I mean, even if it is to another lame-ass song."
Upon hearing this offer, Laura initially responded with a noticeable rolling of her eyes. But then, she just sat there for a moment, appearing to at least be giving it some serious consideration.
"Sure, why not?" Laura, after a few moments, sighed and acceptingly replied, "At least someone around here bothered to ask."
She then shot a scowling glance over in Jono's direction, before standing up to go with Julian. Laura figured that she had might as well go ahead and get this one dance over with, so that she could leave immediately afterwards. And, would be able to honestly tell Logan that she had danced at least once tonight, if he ever brought subject up again.
But, as the pair made their way out onto the dance-floor together, they managed to draw the collective stares from a few of their fellow Xavier and Kinross classmates', along with one very interested teacher.
For, just the briefest of moments.
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Later, after the dance had ended, many of those in attendance now headed off for the various after-prom parties, which had been organized by several different students. Meanwhile, some of the others had opted to regroup first at The Cafe-Go, Bayville's top teen hangout. From here, they would come to a consensus on which of these social functions that they would be attending next?
But there were still a few, who apart from the crowd, had managed to come up with an agenda for the evening that was all their own.
"I thought we were going to meet up with everyone over at The Cafe-Go?" Angelica asked, as she and Bobby had a short while ago left the parking lot back at the school, and were now driving down a dimly-lit roadway in his car.
Which, Angelica had noticed was taking them away from the city, not towards it in the direction where The Cafe-Go was located.
"We will. We're just making a quick detour first." Bobby replied, then proceeded to turn off onto a small backroad a few moments later.
Driving along this isolated pass, Angelica knew that the surrounding scenery felt familiar for some reason. And, realizing that they hadn't been the only ones to make this journey, as they passed by a few cars that were already parked in the relative seclusion of this darkened wooded-area, Angelica quickly recognized that they were up on Lookout Point.
But, since there was no immediate threat, at least none that she was aware of, to precipitate them venturing to the X-Men's emergency meeting place, Angelica thought to herself that Bobby had better have a good explanation for why he had brought her up there.
A REAL good explanation.
Soon, they too came to a stop, parking a number of yards away from a cliff-side edge that overlooked Central Bay, with the bright lights of the city of Bayville visible off in the distance.
"So, you want to tell me what this is all about?" Angelica now asked from her passenger-side vantage.
"There's something I wanted to show you up here." Bobby replied, as he remained unusually cryptic after putting the car into park and turning its ignition off.
"Really?" Angelica commented, as she turned slightly to her left and looked right at him, while folding her arms over in front of her. Angelica's guarded curiosity had now given way to a frowned expression, which she then purposely sent Bobby's way.
Bobby however hadn't noticed his date's reaction, as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his driver-side car door to step outside. Now even more curious as to why Bobby had walked around to the front of his car and then taken a seat up on the front of its hood, Angelica also went to unlatch her seat-buckle. So, that she too could join Bobby out there, and find out what in the world was going on with him?
"You know, you'd probably get just as good of a view of the Bay from back at the Institute. And an even better one when it's daylight out too." Angelica now got out of the car and humorously remarked to Bobby, referring to the Institute's rear sea-side accessibility.
"Hmmph. Yeah, probably. But, looking at the Bay isn't why I came up here." Bobby replied, as he turned her attention from the large body of water that lay out before them, and instead pointed with his index-finger straight up towards the clear nighttime sky.
Instinctively trailing with her eyes as his hand moved upward, Angelica was treated to an unfettered view of the darkened sky and luminously shining stars above, as she went and took a seat up on the car next to Bobby.
"Is there something in particular that I'm supposed to be looking at?" Angelica asked, as she now turned her eyes from the heavens, back down towards Bobby.
"Yeah, all of it." Bobby assuredly replied, as he now reached over to gently take Angelica's hand into his.
Bobby then proceeded to reshape Angelica's hand with his own, so that it was similarly positioned with her index-finger now extended outward. Bobby then slid his hand down around Angelica's wrist, so that he could better show her what he was talking about.
"Don't you see it, right there?" Bobby now asked, as his hand acted to slowly guide Angelica's up in a specific celestial pattern, "It's the constellation Cancer. The one right there, it sorta looks like an upside-down 'Y'."
As Bobby slid his own hand back up over on top of Angelica's, he patiently continued to retrace the vague shape of, what was supposed to be, a large crab in the sky with her hand a few more times for her benefit. And before long, Angelica did finally manage to make out what it was that Bobby had been talking about.
"Oh, now I do! Right there!" Angelica exclaimed, as she saw it and then looked back over at Bobby.
Which, was precisely the enthusiastic response that Bobby had been hoping to garner from her.
"If you look over there, you can see some other ones. There's Leo, and Hydra is down towards the right from it..." Bobby continued, as he guided his and Angelica's now interlaced fingers, moving them together in a counter-clockwise fashion to slowly connect the starry-dots of each constellation pattern high up above.
"Wow, I never would've guessed that you were into in this kinda stuff!" Angelica now genuinely commented, as she looked back over at her date beside her.
"Well, I guess even class-clowns have to have some kinda meaningful hobby in their spare time?" Bobby smilingly replied.
And, even though both his and Angelica's hands had since been brought back down from their star-pointing position, they both noticed that their hands had remained very much intertwined together.
Which, neither seemed to really mind, though.
"So, how many hours did you spend in the library reading up on this?" Angelica now asked Bobby, as their interlaced hands rocked ever so slightly in between them.
"Hold on! What makes you think I'd be caught dead inside of a library?" Bobby replied, in his trademarked comical manner.
"C'mon, it's okay. You can tell me." Angelica said, as she paused their mutual hand-movement, thinking to herself that Bobby bringing her up here to stargaze was the absolutely, positively, super-sweetest thing that any guy had ever done for her.
"Actually, my Grandpa taught me." Bobby now admitted to her, "He used to always take me camping when I was little. And on clear nights like this, we'd stay up half the night trying to find as many different patterns as we could. I mean, we would just sit there and stare up in the sky for hours and--"
At that moment Bobby paused his story, when he saw something up in the sky that managed to even surprise him.
"What's the matter?" Angelica asked, after a few moments of silence had passed.
"Up there. It's a falling star." Bobby told her, lifting their still-linked hands to follow this incandescent trail now streaking its way across the blackened upper-atmosphere, "I haven't seen one in a long time, not since before my Grandpa died. He used to tell me about how they were supposed to be good luck, if you ever saw one."
"I guess that's why people are always making wishes on them, huh?" Angelica smiled and replied, "It kinda reminds me of something my 'Nana would've said to me too."
The pair then sat there and quietly watched together, as the shooting star continued on its slow downward trek to earth. Eventually, disappearing from sight altogether, after it burned up completely upon re-entry.
"Um, you can borrow my coat if you're starting to get cold out here?" Bobby offered to Angelica, with the two of them having now spent an indeterminate amount of time outside silently gazing up at the heavens together.
"Thanks, but I'm alright. I've learned to control my powers enough now, that I can use them to keep myself warm when I need to." Angelica cheerfully replied, "And, without setting any schools on fire either."
Bobby responded to Angelica's declination with a simple and affirmative nod, before turning his attention back skyward again. The pair was once again left, in what quickly became, an awkward silence between them that felt almost deafening to one of them.
"But, if you're getting cold out here we...can..." Angelica had started in an attempt to break this silence, thinking that perhaps Bobby had brought up the subject because of how he was beginning to feel out in this crisp nighttime air.
But, once Angelica saw the hearty grin that came across Bobby's face upon hearing her remark, she too caught on. Even, if it was a few syllables too late.
"Yeah." Angelica looked down and muttered in a low voice, after what should've been an obvious realization for her.
That, if there was anyone in the world who needn't worry about being uncomfortable in a chilly environment, that it would've been this individual seated beside her.
Even though to most it wouldn't have been anything to bother giving a second thought to, Angelica felt that she had just made a complete fool out of herself in front of Bobby. Which, had been the most dreaded fear going into tonight for this overly self-conscious young lady, as she went and released her hand from its caressing grasp within Bobby's.
Where it had been interlocked with his for the better part of an hour now.
"Sorry." Angelica blushingly said to Bobby, as she now took her hand and used it to nervously pull a few strands of her fire-red locks back behind her left ear, "I guess that must've sounded pretty stupi--?"
But before she could finish her sentence, Angelica found herself being interrupted. Not by another's words, or even by another falling star, but by something that was far more magical to her.
By, the muffled silence that came with Bobby's having just leaned over to unexpectedly kiss her.
Giving her, her first kiss.
And one that felt like it went on forever, even though in her mind Angelica knew that wasn't the case. But, the flushed sensation that she was now experiencing did feel as though it had lingered on with her, long after Bobby had moved back over to the other side of the car.
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To Be Continued, in the midnight hour...
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Epilogue-
Bayville Medical Center
In a city with the size and population that Bayville had achieved, both of which were continuing to expand and grow at a rapid rate in spite of the somewhat unfavorable national press that had been generated here over the last couple of years, this medical center stood as a state-of-the-art facility that could rival anything that many significantly larger cities had to offer. But, with such a dramatic increase in size, unfortunately also came the problems that most big cities had to contend with.
Namely, an anticipated rise in crime.
And, while there had been a major car theft and smuggling ring in the city broken up some time ago by the still enigmatic and unidentified vigilante group known only as the Bayville Sirens, the criminal activity centered here had since become much more diversified. And at times, much more violent.
So much so, that the trauma team at Bayville's main hospital wasn't too shocked by the fairly disturbing sight that visited upon them this Friday night, with the arrival of their next patient.
"Alright, tell me what we've got here?" One of the E.R. surgeons came up and asked, as she joined another doctor and nurse already standing by this stretcher that had been rushed unimpeded straight through triage.
"Assault victim. Female. In her early to mid-thirties." The other doctor replied, "Appears to have sustained multiple injuries."
"Obviously." The first doctor said, as she repositioned the breathing apparatus on the victim's scarred and very bruised face, and who still appeared to be having trouble getting air in and out of her lungs even with this machine's assistance.
"She looks to have suffered severe blunt cranial trauma, as well as trauma to her neck, chest, torso..." The second doctor was saying, as he set to the task of trying to stop the bleeding from these various open lacerations.
Meanwhile, the first doctor turned to the nurse standing close-by, who herself was hurriedly working to get IV lines connected to the patient.
"When you're finished with that, I want you to get X-Ray prepped. By then, we should hopefully have the patient stabilized." The first doctor instructed, as she went over to assist her colleague in trying to stop the tremendous amount of blood being lost by this assault victim.
"Yes, Dr. Reyes." The nurse replied, promptly finishing off the connections, before going off to secure an X-Ray room.
"From what the officer, who brought her in with the EMT's, put in his initial report, robbery wasn't even a motive." The second doctor said, making small-talk as they both worked.
"Then, that just makes whoever did this all the more sicker." Dr. Reyes poignantly replied, "I'm going to start her on plasma and isotonic fluids. See if there are any allergic reactions in her file, or anything else that we should be aware of?"
"Let's see." The second doctor replied, as he went and picked up a clipboard that had the patient's vital medical history printed on it, "Name: Frost, Emma Grace. No allergic meds listed. Although,--"
But, as grave as the prognosis for their patient had sounded, things suddenly took a turn for the worse when one of the nearby monitoring devices began to wail loudly.
"Damn it, she's going into arrest! Stand by to begin defibrillation." Dr. Reyes said with a controlled shout, as other E.R. personnel now rushed in to assist her and the other doctor in their effort to save this poor woman.
Whom, even Dr. Reyes was beginning to wonder, hadn't just been dealt one obstacle too many for her to overcome this night...
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Next chapter: With Friends' Like Mine...