Chapter 28:
"AAARRRGGGHHHH!" A scream split through both Peter's room and head, causing him to shoot upwards in his bed. At first, he wasn't sure where it was coming from, or if was even real. It took another to confirm that he wasn't in the midst of a bad dream.
"AAAHHHH!" It was real. And coming from Kitty's room. He sprang from his bed and rushed into the hall, stopping only to make sure he was somewhat decently dressed. He threw open the door to her room, nearly causing it to splinter in his haste. Immediately his eyes fell on her empty bed.
"AAAHHH!" Peter looked upwards. Kitty was sticking to the ceiling, much like he could. "What the...!" she screamed as both Rogue and Jubilee rushed into the room behind Peter. And out of the corner of his eye, he could see their shocked expressions.
But he paid them little attention, as he leaped upwards and clung to the ceiling. Carefully, he crawled towards her. Her facial expression spoke of pure terror, so he decided to comfort her as best he could.
"So what's hanging?" he smirked lightly as Jubilee ran down the hall, presumably to get more assistance.
"Not funny!" Kitty shouted back as she looked at her shaking hands.
"At least I didn't go with 'what's up?'" he smirked as he reached out a hand to grab her by the elbow gently. "To which you could have replied 'us' and gotten a huge laugh from everybody. Now take my hand and I'll help you down."
"Are you sure I won't fall?" she asked.
"I can catch falling cars, I think you're safe," he replied as he shifted his feet into a more stable position. "But if you want we can move over top of your bed, then you'll have a soft landing at least." He finished as both Jean and Scott rushed into the room, followed by Xavier and Dr McCoy.
"What in the world...?" Jean muttered, completely flabbergasted.
"As you can see," Peter mused lightly, "we're in a bit of a sticky situation up here." He nodded to Kitty, "whenever you're ready." Kitty gave him a shaky nod in response, and tenderly lifted her hand that Peter was holding. Her shaking slowly died down as she realized his grip was enough to hold her in place. "Now your feet," he said.
"I...I can't..." she stuttered as she started to shake again. "I'll fall..."
"I've got you," he said soothingly as he nodded. He watched as her muscles tightened in the seconds before both her legs fell from the ceiling, leaving only one arm. That arm followed suit, and she was dangling by holding onto his one arm. Slowly, he removed his remaining arm from the ceiling and straitened his body out, and that was just enough to allow Kitty to touch the floor. She became crushed in a hug by Rogue as Peter flipped himself down to the ground. Everyone eyed him suspiciously, with the exception of Kitty and the Professor, who looked from Peter to Kitty.
"My office, now," Xavier said bluntly as he turned around his chair around and went out the door. "Hank, Jean, you too as well. Everyone else, go back to your rooms." He finished briskly as the four bodies followed him down the hall. He moved at a pace Peter would have though impossible in a wheelchair, twisting and turning down the silent halls as they made their way to Xavier's office.
As soon as he was behind his desk and had placed his arms in front of him, he said "This is unheard of."
"What the hell are you talking about!" Kitty snapped as she slumped down into one of the chairs. "I was sticking to the ceiling like..."
"Like Mr Parker," Dr McCoy muttered softly, crossing his arms as he did so "but how...?"
"It has to be the blood transfusion," said Jean as she took the seat next to Xavier. "It can't be a co-incidence and..."
"That doesn't explain anything," Dr McCoy interrupted as he uncrossed his arms and placed them on the desk. "A foreign substance wouldn't activate new or dormant abilities identical to those of the donor. But if we were to accept the theory that their is a mental portion to one's abilities..."
"But you're forgetting something," said Xavier as a smile crossed his face. "Mr Parker was not born with the X-gene. His blood may still contain the retro-virus he was injected with." Peter's jaw dropped at this notion. He should have expected it, or at least thought of the possibility.
I could have killed her! He thought to himself as one of Xavier's eyes twitched. But Peter paid him no attention. Instead he cast his eye towards Kitty, who was staring right back at him.
"I'm sorry," he mouthed to her. She gave him the oddest of looks, almost as if she was asking why he was sorry.
There is no need to be sorry, Mr Parker, Xavier's voice said as it resounded through Peter's mind. Peter smirked at this attempt to be consoling, as only a handful of people had tried and succeeded to do so in the past.
Professor, I think you missed your mark. Peter nearly fell to the ground as a wave of static washed over him. The sensation was more powerful than any he had ever experienced before. His vision started to swim and blur.
And to top it all off, I'm hearing Kitty's voice in my head. He thought as he shook his head in disorientation.
Why the hell am I hearing Peter's voice, professor? The voice who sounded like Kitty asked as Xavier looked from Peter to Kitty, seemingly astonished.
Both of you have forged a connection deeper than I could have imagined.
Both of us?! Peter and Kitty said together psychically. He turned to face her once more, meeting her gaze dead-on.
Oh. My. God. Kitty said as she covered her mouth with her hand. "We...how...I..." She stuttered, pointing from herself to Peter, expressing his current state of mind in addition to hers.
"Care to explain more?" He half-demanded as he crossed his arms. "Because I'm new to all this."
"Certainly," Xavier replied as both Dr McCoy and Jean exchanged confused looks. "What occurred was another one-in-a-billion event. I believe that a combination of the telepathic link, the transferal of blood and your shared extra-sensory powers have created a shared mental link between your minds."
"Extra-sensory...?" Dr McCoy began to mutter.
"It's part of the reason I can dodge gunfire," Peter interrupted, "I get this buzzing sensation in the back of my head whenever there is an active threat to me, such as a bullet, or oncoming car. It also gives me an immediate sense of my surroundings."
"There is no evidence to support the notion that spiders..." Dr McCoy began to reply in a matter-of-fact voice.
"Remember, Erik was trying to create super-soldiers, not copy the abilities of a species," said Xavier as he pulled himself out from the desk. "That notion was solely Mr Parker's creation."
"You do realize the kind of impact this will have on the students," Jean said as she stood up. "Some of them already distrust Peter, they might think it's contagious..."
"Meanwhile others will want an upgrade," Dr McCoy continued for her. "I will talk with them. I'll tell them it is a procedure that should not be replicated."
"That's not gonna stop the onslaught of questions," Kitty muttered softly. "Jubilee said there are rumours flying around the place."
"Be honest with them," Jean shrugged as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "And it'll die down. Most likely in light of the ball next week."
"How about they go away now!" Kitty shouted as she swung her arm wildly, striking Jean in the stomach, causing her to be thrown off her chair. Kitty looked at her hand, shocked by what she had just done. "Jean I..." she began to mutter before tears choked her words in her throat.
"It's alright," Jean replied steadily as she got to her feet. "I've been hit harder in the danger room. But you sure can swing." Kitty sunk her face into her hands and started to sob.
"Can I be alone...?" she cried softly, "I...I don't think it's safe for anyone to be around me anymore..."
"Kitty we..." Xavier began as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she shouted before tearing out of the room and down the hall. Peter took one look at the professor, who nodded his head, before going after her. He followed her as she veered left and right, showing more signs of increased physical capabilities. Luckily very few people where in the halls at that time, or they would have been body-checked.
"Stop!" he shouted as Kitty disappeared around a corner briefly, until he rounded the same corner. They had come to a dead end, and Kitty was slumped against the wall. He didn't know what to say, so he just sat down next to her and waited. And after several minutes, she spoke.
"Did you get sick too?" she asked.
"Very," He replied, "I couldn't see strait, I was vomiting and I had a nosebleed all night."
"How long before you stopped breaking things?" She said very softly, "How long before you had control?"
"Months," he said in response, "Doorknobs, dishes, cutlery, keyboard keys, nothing was safe."
"Is that what I have to look forward to?" she smirked as she looked up at him. He watched as her cheeks flushed red, and his heart began to race. He leaned his head in as footsteps echoed on the hard floor.
"Oh!" Aunt May exclaimed ass Peter quickly snapped his head back, strait into the wall. "I'm sorry I..."
"It's no problem," Kitty said as they both stood up rapidly out of embarrassment. "We where just uh...talking about..."
I don't think she'll understand the complete ramifications of the whole psychic linkage. He tried to relay to her through their mental link.
Are you kidding, I don't understand! But I won't be able to keep the other half a secret. Kitty smiled a reply. "As you've probably heard, I'm going through a few...changes," Kitty finished verbally, "and he was just offering me some pointers."
"I heard," Aunt May said warmly as she placed a comforting hand on Kitty's shoulder. "Bits and pieces, mainly from that John Storm."
"Figures it had to be him," Kitty muttered. "Cooking something up with Alex & Jubilee..."
"Look at it this way," said Peter lightly, "now you can really sneak up on them. And you'll never get stuck in hallway traffic again."
"I guess that's one perk," Kitty smiled as she turned to leave. "Excuse me webs, I've got a fire to douse." With that, she left, leaving Peter alone in the dark hallway with his Aunt, who was smiling.
"Is that her?" Aunt May asked.
"Hmm?" He replied.
"The girl from school. The one who you said was able to keep up with you during science class. Is that her?" Aunt May smirked as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Yeah," he replied as butterflies flew up in his stomach. "Kitty's the one from midtown."
"Well she certainly seems nice," Aunt May smiled as she uncrossed her arms and turned to leave, "I'm happy for you to have found such a wonderful girl, Peter."
